Not So Mr Perfect
by AmJay5785
Summary: AU Elizabeth is in love with Jason, who only see's her as a friend. Will a little fun at a Halloween party change that, or ruin their friendship for good? Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Prompt: When it appears that you have killed the monster, never check to see if it's really dead.**

**-1-**

The very first time Elizabeth Webber caught sight of Jason Morgan was exactly—give or take a couple nanoseconds—one second before she fell flat on her face.

Known for her grace and poise, this was a very disturbing encounter for her. Not only had she just fell right in front of her apartment building, where she was sure many of her neighbors—known for their nosy behavior—had seen from the view out their apartment window. But she had also fallen in front of who could only be described as the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on.

And she had only seen him for about a second.

It didn't help that she had sulked in her misery while she was still sprawled out on the pavement before all of Harborview Towers and the very man who had caused her to miss her step in the first place. It was his fault, really. One could not walk around with that body, that hair and those eyes without a warning sign allowing women—like herself—to prepare themselves for such a shock at seeing Mr. Perfect.

Actually, she couldn't really call him Mr. Perfect, she mused as she had continued to lay there on the pavement, he just _looked_ like Mr. Perfect.

But when she had felt a gentle hand on her back as another snaked around her arm to pull her off of the pavement—since she seemed quite incapable of helping herself at the moment—and looked into the same eyes that had stopped her heart only moments before, Elizabeth knew that he _was_ Mr. Perfect.

He had been nothing but concern as he lifted her to her feet, asking if she was ok, running his eyes along the length of her to see if she was injured anywhere. He was the perfect gentlemen, and Elizabeth was finally able to believe in the saying "love at first sight."

And also "fell head over heels in love." It was quite fitting, actually.

If Elizabeth had been her normal self at that moment, she would have berated herself for her idiotic behavior. She was an independent woman, for goodness sake. She was not the type of woman to stare with her mouth agape as an attractive man tried to converse with her.

But it was exactly what she had done. Up until the point where Jason, still a complete stranger at the time, had asked her if she hit her head hard, snapping his fingers in front of her glazed eyes, worry causing his crystal blue eyes to narrow.

It was at that point that Elizabeth had realized she was acting like a complete idiot. She hadn't even hit her head.

"No…" she croaked, clearing her throat, deciding to lie. Why embarrass herself even more, might as well have an excuse for acting as she did. "No, I just bumped it a little."

His hand reached out immediately, touching the side of her head. She jerked away, nervous at his touch but causing him to think he hurt her.

He winced, dropping his hand. "Sorry. Maybe you should go to the hospital to get that looked at."

"No, really, I'm fine. Embarrassed," she laughed slightly, mentally patting herself on the back for gaining some of her brains back, "but fine."

He didn't quite believe her; she could see it in his expression, so she tried to move on. Tilting her head to the side, she gave him a crooked smile, "Thank you for helping me."

He shrugged, looking away before startling her with his direct gaze again. "You're sure you're ok?"

"Yes," she nodded, clearing her throat when she hadn't any clue what else to say. It seemed rude to just say thanks again and then walk away. Plus, she didn't want to leave just yet. It wasn't everyday she met Mr. Perfect. "I'm not usually that clumsy," she blushed, tucking a hair behind her ear. "I guess I was just in too much of a hurry that I wasn't looking where I was going."

Mr. Perfect just nodded. Elizabeth sighed, so much for making this last as long as possible. "Well, thank you again. But I should go before I'm late."

"I'm glad you're ok," he said, smiling slightly and causing even more butterflies to flutter in her already uneasy stomach. Was there anything about him that wasn't attractive?

"Me, too," she returned his smile, before walking past him, only to stop and turn around suddenly. A girlish thrill ran through her as she caught him watching her walk away. "I didn't catch your name," she said. "It seems that I should know the name of the only person kind enough to help me off the ground," she directed a pointed stare at the doorman who looked away and blushed, before turning her gaze back to Mr. Perfect.

He took a step towards her, then another until he was close to her again. God, he even smelt delicious. "Jason Morgan," he said, raising his eyebrows as he obliviously waited for her to return with her name.

She stuck her hand out—really, she grumbled to herself, a handshake?—plastering a smile on her face even though she felt rather silly. "My name's Elizabeth Webber."

He grasped her hand lightly and what was most likely the most delicious feeling spread throughout her body. His hand was rough, but gentle in its grasp. His fingers long, curling around hers.

Though she wanted to stare at his hand engulfing hers all day, she made her eyes travel up his arm, across his shoulders—who could blame her taking a bit of a detour—up his thick neck, quickly past his lips and nose, and finally meeting his eyes again.

Eyes that clearly sparkled with amusement. Whether at her handshake or her slight perusal of him, Elizabeth would never know.

His hand tightened around hers as his lips softened into a smile. "Do you live here?" He asked, tilting his head back to gesture towards Harborview Towers.

"For about six months now," she answered.

His smile widened and Elizabeth's heart just about melted. His hand still held hers, his gaze still lingered on hers directly, and now his smile made her lips twitch to match it and she didn't even know what in the world he was smiling about.

"I guess we'll be neighbors, then."

"We will?" she breathed, not at all believing that she could possibly start her day off as badly as falling flat on her face and get such luck as this.

"My friend owns this building and he always keeps an apartment open for me when I come home."

He let go of her hand as he spoke and Elizabeth wanted to scream her protest. Thankfully, she held back and didn't even show her disappointment.

She hoped.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around, then." She gave her most flirtatious smile, tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah," his smile turned into a lopsided, oozing with sex grin. "I guess so."

As Elizabeth walked away that day, she couldn't help but anticipate the next time she would see him again. Granted, she hadn't known at the time that he was going to be living just down the hall from her, but she still had a feeling that she was going to be seeing quite a bit of Jason Morgan.

Which could only mean that she was _not_ going to be taking any more quick trips to the mail room in her comfy pajamas with the fuzzy slippers that felt like heaven on her overtired feet. It would be a small price to pay, but there was no way she would be caught dead in her normal comfy attire in front of that man. She had the feeling he was used to the sexy clothes wearing type of women that Elizabeth couldn't stand.

And as the months went by and Elizabeth began to see more and more of Jason, she had never hated her instincts as much as she did when it came to that man. Not only was he interested in the slutiest women of Port Charles, but he always seemed to find a new one every week, bringing her home at exactly the same time Elizabeth would get home from work.

She had spent many a nights wondering if the awful man planned parading his… his… his hoochies—Elizabeth had never been good at coming up with names—in front of her, but she had always quickly shut that idea down. Being a nurse, her schedule fluctuated so much that he couldn't possibly know when she was coming home every Friday night.

It was just bad luck that the man she thought to be Mr. Perfect was really Mr. Jerk, Mr. Insensitive, Mr. Slut-magnet, Mr. Asshole—maybe she wasn't so bad at the name calling after all—and only treated her like a good friend, a buddy, a damn women he felt no attraction to and no shame at letting her see his flavor of the week.

Jason Morgan was turning out to be not so Mr. Perfect.

She agonized for weeks as to why she ever thought he might be interested in her. She thought she saw attraction in his sparkling blue eyes at their first meeting. Maybe it was just pity because she had made a fool of herself by falling.

Maybe there _was_ attraction there at first but when Elizabeth didn't show enough skin every time Jason saw her, he probably just lost interest in her. He was a sexy man and sexy men usually tended to want sexy women.

Elizabeth's ideal of a sexy evening was sitting on the sofa, watching a movie curled up against Jason's side, and falling asleep with her head resting against his shoulder.

Hell, that had happened enough in their friendship the past couple of months that Elizabeth knew that was exactly what her idea of a sexy night was. Well, maybe some love making afterwards, but its not like that ever happened.

She hated that he treated her only like a friend. A very good friend, one he claimed he felt like he could tell anything to. But she wanted more than that, damn it. And she hated him for that.

She hated that she loved him. Hated that she felt so comfortable with him but couldn't tell him how she really felt.

Hated that she had never been kissed by him until that night. Scowling, Elizabeth pulled the silky covers that concealed her naked form from sight—not like anyone was looking—higher against her chest, fighting back the tears that wanted to fall so desperately.

She wouldn't look at him, she repeated to herself over and over again. How could she look at him and still be angry with him when she knew how gentle and peaceful he looked while he slept—she should know, since she watched him sleep plenty when he was the one to fall asleep first at times during one of their movie nights.

She needed to stay mad a him. It was the only thing that kept her from crying from having one of her biggest dreams shattered.

Sleeping with Jason Morgan was not supposed to turn out like this.

Against her better judgment, Elizabeth turned slightly to see him lying on his stomach, snoring softly as he drooled on the PC Hotels silky pillowcase—only the finest for the hotels very best suite. What turned out as a train wreck of a Halloween party ended as a train wreck of a night, of a week… of a lifetime, she thought dejectedly.

Elizabeth poked Jason in his side as he let out a loud snore.

It only took her a couple of months to figure it out, but Mr. Perfect was definitely more of a Mr. Asshole.


	2. Chapter 2

**Prompt #2: If I can't see you, you can't see me.**

**-2-**

_8 Hours Earlier:_

"But you have to go."

Eyeing the man who stood across from her wearing the most pitiful, yet adorable, expression she had ever seen cross his face, Elizabeth sighed, wondering how in the world she was going to deny him this.

But she had to. There was no way in the world she was going to go to this stupid Halloween party. Especially considering who the host of said party was. Talk about partying with goblins and witches. If ever there was a witch in Elizabeth's life, Carly held the title perfectly.

"I'm not going."

Sighing, Jason crossed his arms over his massive chest, staring at Elizabeth with what she deemed his "I've killed men before and I wont bat an eyelash at killing again," look. It was really quite chilling, the way he could stare at her and make her sweat, feeling like she had just done something really wrong and he had caught her. Narrowing her own eyes, Elizabeth stared at him with what she hoped was a stare to match his own.

When his lips twitched she knew she failed.

She spoke through gritted teeth. "You can stare at me all you want, but I'm not going."

Planting his hands flat against his chest, Jason tilted his head to the side, opening his eyes wide. "I have to go," he paused. She didn't know why, but she nodded. "So that means you have to go."

"No it does not," she scoffed.

When he sighed again, this time scrubbing his hands against his face, Elizabeth knew he was frustrated. "Would you just stop this and tell me you're going."

"Maybe," Elizabeth rested her hand against her hip, not at all liking his attitude. Who the hell was he to treat her like this? She wasn't his girlfriend, damn it, he couldn't order her around. "Maybe if you stopped talking like Tarzan and just spit out why you think I _have_ to go, I might consider it."

When he opened his mouth to speak, she held her hand up, silencing him. "And none of this 'I have to go so you have to go crap,' it just annoys me."

"Elizabeth," he breathed, plopping down on her couch, lifting his feet to rest against her coffee table as he popped one of her brownies into his mouth. It hadn't been a normal habit of hers to make brownies all the time and leave them on her coffee table. But once she started being friends—how she hated that that's all it was—with Jason, she made it a habit. He'd once told her she made the best brownies, and since he came over a lot and was always hungry, it just became a… habit to always have her famous brownies 'just out of the oven.' It also became a habit to either throw a batch away or give some to Sonny, Jason's best male friend, because Jason didn't come by.

Jason's voice broke her out of her thoughts. There was a frown marring his brow, most likely because there was a scowl marring hers. She softened her expression as he continued. "You know I hate parties—"

"Probably as much as I do."

"—and the only way I could get through the night is if you were there with me." He continued as if she didn't even interrupt.

Elizabeth remained rooted in her spot, hands on her hips, standing directly in front of him. Something softened within her at his comment. She always knew he valued her friendship, but it still made her feel good when he would make a comment about it.

She could do without the 'I'm glad we're friends' comments, though. Those always reminded her that she was never going to be anything more to the man and that saddened her.

"I already promised Carly that I'd be there—"

"Most likely because she badgered you into it, I'm sure."

He smiled, patting the seat on the couch next to him. His hand was rather close to his thigh which, naturally, Elizabeth took it to mean that he wanted her to sit close to him. Really, why else would he pat the cushion so close to himself if he didn't want her to actually _sit_ that close?

Plopping down in the same fashion as he had moments before, Elizabeth sunk back, looking up at him through her eyelashes as he turned his head, which rested on the back of the couch, to look down at her. "As annoying as Carly is, she's still my friend, and Sonny's wife, and if I didn't go, she would never let me hear the end of it."

"True," Elizabeth pursed her lips. "But that's the beauty of my situation. If I don't go, _I _won't have to listen to her, which is fine by me."

"But think of what her face will look like when she sees you walking in."

"Please," she laughed. "She'll just snarl and make some snide remarks. Its not anything that I'm not used to."

His forehead crinkled as he turned his body slightly towards hers. "Why do you two hate each other so much?"

"I don't think it's so much of hate as it is we can't stand each other. And it started when we" she slapped him against the chest—maybe a little too hard, but it _was_ his fault that they were only the nasty f word she hated—"became friends. It probably didn't help when I told her to shut up and stop telling you how to live your life."

"You told her that?" surprise etched his voice. And, Elizabeth smiled, some pride as well.

"She was going on and on one day about how she knew you so much better and how you two had this bond and that she had a right to tell you what to do because she knew you. Can you believe she said that?" Elizabeth scoffed, offended on his behalf. "She actually said she had a _right_. I can't believe the things that come out of her mouth sometimes." She paused for about a second. "Actually, is more like most of the time."

"Thank you," Jason spoke softly as his hand reached for hers, intertwining their fingers together. He held it against his thigh, silent for a moment before he turned his full attention back on her again, startling her with just how intense his eyes were.

She would get over this one day, she thought as she commanded her eyes not to close. Maybe sometime when she was seventy or something, but she _would_ get over it.

As he spoke she silently called herself a liar. "No one else gets Carly, I don't even get her half the time, but she means well in her own way. But I still appreciate that you stuck up for me." He squeezed her hand, giving her a tilted smile. "It's good to know I have you to watch my back."

One side of her mouth titled up as she turned to face him fully, the fabric of her couch rustling with her movements. "I'll always have your back," she teased.

"Good, so then we'll go to the party together."

"Jason," Elizabeth groaned, slapping her free hand against her forehead. "Did we not just go over this? Carly hates me, she didn't even invite me. If I go to her stupid party, she will make it her mission to torture me all night, and then she'll make it her mission to complain to you for days after about how you could possibly bring me along and how it ruined her night. She'll say something that'll piss me off, then we'll fight. Then Sonny will get his husband voice—"

"Husband voice?"

"You know the one. Where he say's 'Carly' in that disapproving voice," she mimicked Sonny by sitting tall and deepening her voice. "Then he'll give me this pleading look that just begs the question as to why I had to stoop to her level, then I'll give him this look like 'hey, you married the crazy la—"

"Ok," he sat up, grasping her face between his two palms, laughing. Her heart stopped completely—she actually felt as if she might have died in that very moment—as his eyes, crinkled at the corners from laughing, focused in on her. His face was so close she thought he would kiss her. And when his head dipped down, she was pretty damn sure he was going to kiss her. She even pursed her lips and was about to close her eyes.

But he didn't kiss her.

He only dipped his head to compose himself before he dropped his hands from her face. "If I promise to make sure that Carly stays away from you and that, if by a small chance, she gets near you that Sonny will not use that voice, will you go?"

Her nose crinkled as she pouted for a moment. She knew he could tell she was softening because he pushed forward, giving her the real zinger.

"If you don't go with me, I'll have a bad time, but I'll still have to go. But if you go," he stretched out the last word. "At least I'll have a good time just hanging out with you."

Did he have to make it seem like she was the only one who he could have a good time with? It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him why he just didn't invite one of his 'girls'—a bitter taste stung the back of her throat at just the thought of those _girls_—but she held off. It would be petty and she would come off jealous, which she was but she was so not going to let him know that.

Plus, she rather liked being his lifeline so to speak. It made her feel special.

Before she even opened her mouth, she saw his face brighten. How he could read her so well and not know her true feelings was beyond her. "Fine," she practically growled. "I'll go."

He gave her a kiss on the forehead, and then stood, practically strutting to the door in his triumph. The friendly—ugh! Friendly was such an annoying word—kiss not only caused a tremendous heat to flow through her, but also caused a mild annoyance to stir her blood as well.

Which was probably why she called out to him, her own triumphant smile crossing her lips. Maybe the smile was a bit on the slick, sassy side, but it was a smile that covered up a devious plan which she knew he would hate. But, what the hell? He was making her do something she didn't want to do; she'd just have to repay him in kind.

He turned when she called his name. "I'll only go if you promise me one thing."

"What?" he asked; a bit suspicious. Good, she thought, let him squirm a bit.

Tapping her finger against her lips, she let her eyes travel the length of him, twice. "You're going to hate this."

His fists rested against his hips now, a scowl narrowing his eyes. This time, he growled. "What?"

"You owe me a dance."

When a curse passed his lips, Elizabeth couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. She bubbled with it and almost fell off her couch as she clutched her sides at his murderous look. Through her giggles, she managed: "It's only fair. I have to do something I don't want to, so you do, too."

He made no other comment about the subject, just turned around, almost ripping her door off of the hinges as he mumbled something about picking her up at eight.

As the door slammed, Elizabeth felt a tiny flutter start low in her belly. Maybe the night wouldn't be so bad after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Prompt #3: A pumpkin and a princess.**

**-3-**

Elizabeth hated Halloween.

Even as a child she was never fond of the holiday. She hated having to figure out a costume every year only to have her mother deny her wishes and choose the costume herself. Like the year Elizabeth had planned to be vampire with the blood dripping down her mouth and all, her mother had scoffed saying that 'there was no way she would allow her seven year old daughter to be something so grotesque.'

That year she ended up dressing up like a pumpkin… a freaking pumpkin costume that her mother spent three days slaving over and laid on so much guilt that Elizabeth had to wear the stupid thing. The thing had been so hot and itchy that – at the age of seven – Elizabeth declared that she would never dress up for Halloween ever again.

Her mother hadn't allowed that, of course. Caroline Webber loved making costumes for her children and Halloween was the best time to put her sewing skills to use. Which is why Elizabeth had to dress up in costumes she hated year after year until she was finally able to convince her mother that she was too old to dress up.

For a couple of years, she had been able to avoid the holiday, until her sophomore year of high school when she was invited to the Halloween dance by the most popular guy in school. If she had allowed herself to think about it, Elizabeth would have never agreed to go. Nicholas Cassidine never talked to her before that, but it hadn't mattered to her at the time.

The cutest guy in school asked her to the dance and she was not going to pass that up. She was even going to wear a costume. And when Nicholas informed her that he was going as a prince, she immediately went to the store and found the best princess costume she could afford. She had spent two months allowance on the thing.

She even allowed her mother to do her hair for the night.

When two hours passed after the time she thought he was supposed to pick her up, Elizabeth quickly told herself that she must have got the plans wrong. She convinced herself that they were supposed to meet at the dance and she had just forgotten.

So, thinking that she was standing her date up, Elizabeth rushed to the school dance, a little nervous but looking – what she felt was – her best. She really had to admit that the white dress looked beautiful on her.

She made it about three steps into the dance before she stopped dead in her tracks, her heart falling to the floor. Her prince charming wasn't waiting for her. He was too busy slow dancing and feeling up his ex-girlfriend on the dance floor.

Elizabeth had almost made it out of the dance but was caught by her best friend who was asking her way too many questions while Elizabeth tried her damn hardest not to cry.

Emily Quartermaine would not give up however. She wanted to know where she was, why she didn't show up with Nic, and what the hell the creep was doing dancing with that bimbo Courtney?!

Elizabeth had no answers, of course, and when Emily finally realized that her friend was on the brink of tears, she quickly helped her make her escape. The two of them spent the rest of the night at Kelly's Diner, drinking double chocolate milkshakes and trying their best to laugh at how Nic and Courtney made such an ugly and stupid couple.

Nicholas had called her the following day to apologize profusely for standing her up, thinking she didn't go to the dance at all. He admitted that he and Courtney had decided to get back together and in his happiness he completely forgot to call her. But she would forgive him, right?

Scrunching her nose, Elizabeth brought herself from her thoughts of her past back to the present. After pitiful costumes and one Halloween party disaster, Elizabeth had never thought she would be standing in front of her closet on Halloween night, wondering what she could do for a costume.

Stomping her foot, Elizabeth let out a loud grunt. Why, oh why did she allow Jason to talk her into this? She hated Halloween, she didn't like Carly, and she had absolutely nothing to wear.

So what if he was the man of her dreams and absolutely irresistible. That didn't mean she had to give into him every time he wanted something – even though she always did. This time should have been the one time she denied him.

But no. The blasted man had to go and be all wonderful and make her feel special and now she was only an hour away from being picked up and she still had nothing to wear!

She almost called Jason to ask him what he was dressing up as so she could correspond correctly, but thought better of it. He was only taking her as a friend and she did not want to make things awkward by dressing up as his counterpart. Like the damn prince and princess costume.

Laughing, Elizabeth sorted through her closet again. Just the thought of big, strong Jason Morgan dressed as a prince was hilarious. In fact, Jason dressed up as anything but himself was hilarious. He just didn't seem like the dress-up-for-Halloween type.

Walking away from her closet, Elizabeth began to sort through her drawers. She opened her scrubs drawer and sighed. Maybe she could go as a dead nurse. She had some red food coloring she could poor over her blue scrubs. She had enough of that color anyway, wouldn't be any harm in ruining a pair.

She pulled a pair out, laying them on her bed. She was on her way to the kitchen to get the food coloring when her closet caught her attention again. Something shiny was winking at her from the far corner of the closet, just begging her to look at it.

She knew what it was. She had purposely bypassed the shirt every time she searched through her closet earlier. It was a slutty top that Emily had made her buy months ago stating that Elizabeth needed to spice up her wardrobe.

"Besides," Emily had winked, "you never know when you're going to need to seduce some hot guy. And this," she shoved the top in Elizabeth's face, "is just the top to do it in."

Elizabeth nibbled on her lower lip as she stared that the top like it was going to jump out and bite her. She didn't move for several moments before – scrubs forgotten – she made her way to the closet and yanked the top off of the hanger.

Giving the top an arch look, Elizabeth wondered how that small piece of fabric could even be called a top. She'd be lucky if the thing kept anything to the imagination. She'd probably show so much skin that…. "Enough!" she shouted at herself.

What was the point of dressing up for Halloween if she didn't let herself go a little? It was only one night and what would it hurt if she wore it. She already spent the money on the thing and since she was most likely never going to wear the thing any other time, she might as well get use out of it for that night.

Decision made, Elizabeth worked quickly to assemble the rest of her costume, least she change her mind and go as the boring nurse.

That was her role everyday, anyway. It was time to spice herself up for a bit.

She worked quickly, pulling on the mini skirt she had also bought on a whim when shopping with Emily another time. The top came on next and when Elizabeth looked at herself in the mirror, her expression was one of horror and a bit of surprise.

She really did look good.

The top was a black shiny material, tying behind her neck with thin straps, stopping just below her belly button, showing some skin. It didn't suck to her body like she thought it would, but flowed against her milky skin, having a low dip that showed off a bit of cleavage.

The skirt ended mid thigh and when Elizabeth was so very close to changing her mind, she dashed away from the mirror and made a beeline for her shoes. She new exactly what pair she was going to ware. They were what she deemed – quite necessary for the night – her hooker boots.

Dressed, Elizabeth quickly pulled her hair up, letting some of it float around her neck. Even though the outfit begged for some trashy makeup, Elizabeth only applied a light layer, drawing the line at going_ that_ far.

Hearing the knock at her door, Elizabeth glanced at her clock and smiled. Always on time, she thought, making her way to the door.

She was so busy laughing at how punctual Jason always was that she forgot to be nervous at revealing her… revealing outfit.

But when she opened the door and saw Jason's cocky smile turn into an opened mouth expression of shocked, Elizabeth remember rather too well what it was to be nervous.

She fidgeted on her feet as he stared at her. When she couldn't take it anymore she threw up her hands, turning right around and making her way to her bedroom, tears gathering in her eyes. What the hell had she been thinking? Did she really think that Jason would make some remark about how good, how hot she looked? Yeah right, she practically snorted.

She had started out with the plan to make him drool with desire and all she did was make him drool with shock.

Stupid, stupid_, stupid_

She was about to walk into her room when she felt Jason's hand wrap around her upper arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice raspy.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, willing her tears away. She cleared her throat several times before speaking, still not turning around. "I was going to change."

"Why?"

She couldn't see his face but she could hear the confusion in his voice.

Clenching her hands into fists, Elizabeth jerked her arm away from him as she turned around. "I was stupid to dress up like this," she motioned to her outfit with a sweep of her hand. "And by the look you gave me when I first opened the door, I think its pretty safe to say I was correct."

She made to turn around again when he stopped her. "No…" he cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at her. "I was just… shocked. I've never seen…you…" he stopped sweeping his eyes the length of her as he shifted several times.

Her eyes narrowed at his uncomfortable look. If it made him so damn uncomfortable to see her like this why wouldn't he just let her change? So what if he thought it might hurt her feelings. This hurt worse.

"Jason, just let me change. I can put on my scrubs and be a nurse," she finished with mock enthusiasm, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Elizabeth," he sighed as he walked away from her. When he faced her again, the couch between them, he gripped the back of it, hard. "You look good, _really_ good." He cleared his throat again.

She begged herself not to smile. This was more like it!

"What are you supposed to be?"

"A hooker."

He coughed, clearing his throat and swallowing several times. His eyes were huge as he finally composed himself. "Well… I… damn you look good."

Elizabeth smiled a womanly smile. Oh yeah, she was really enjoying this.

"You shouldn't change," he nodded, his forehead scrunching as he straightened but continued to fidget. "You're already ready and," he smiled, "think of the look on Carly's face when you show up. Plus, you'll probably get more attention than she does and she'll hate that."

Elizabeth watched as his smile fell and an angry scowl replaced it. "Guys will probably be hitting on you all night… you know what, you should change."

"What? Why?"

He didn't answer her as he marched towards her and began steering her towards her bedroom. "I don't care if we're late; I'm not taking you out like that."

Now she was offended. "Well excuse me for almost embarrassing you," she said as she gave him a dirty look.

"You don't embarrass me; I just don't want every creep in that room hitting on you."

Elizabeth stopped right in front of her door. Was he jealous? No, he couldn't be. But still...

"You know what, I'm already dressed and it would take way too long to get another costume." She patted him on the arm as she continued, "Thanks for your concern but I won't have to worry about some creep bothering me. Besides, you'll be there to," she placed the back of her hand against her forehead, tilting her head back and sighing as she spoke, "save me."

He glared at her. His mouth opened but she just gave him a pointed 'I'm-not-changing-my-mind-look.'

With a loud sigh that stirred the hair that fell against her neck, Jason grabbed her hand and began to pull her towards the front door. "Fine."

They had just made it to the outside of her door when she stopped, frowning as she looked at him. "You're not wearing a costume,"

He didn't look at her as he pulled them onto the elevator. "We can't be late."

She slapped him against his chest, stomping. "Why didn't you tell me you weren't going to wear a costume?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Right," she muttered. "I should have figured."


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt #4: "You can be a king or a street sweeper, but everybody dances with the Grim Reaper." Robert Alton Harris**

**-4-**

The music was loud, people were dancing all over the place, and – despite the darkness of the hotel ballroom – Elizabeth regretted her outfit more than anything she had ever done in her twenty-three years of life.

Forget about the time she kissed Johnny Roberts at the ripe old age of four, only to have him push her away and declare that girls had cooties. The time she fought with her sister because she borrowed Elizabeth's favorite shirt and returned it with a stain didn't even compare to the regret she felt at that moment – she had, in fact, broke her arm during that fight. But nope, not as bad as this.

Just as Jason had predicated earlier that night, every eye in that room was on her, including the sleaze bag Ric Lansing who she was sure she heard whistle crudely.

Tightening her hand around Jason's, Elizabeth tried to keep her feet rooted in place – or, rather, tried to back away – but Jason ignored her pitiful attempts. Instead, he pulled her fully into the room, glaring at every man who licked his lips once they got a good look at her.

If Elizabeth hadn't been so embarrassed, she would have basked in the way Jason was acting. He actually seemed… possessive of her. Like he didn't like the idea of any guy finding her attractive and letting her know it.

Huh, wouldn't you know, she smiled to herself. The embarrassment was leaving and some joy was replacing it. Jason was actually being very protective of her…

Ah, well now that just ruined that very small feat. Thinking of him being _protective_ just made her think that he was being that way because he thought of her as… as a freaking sister, not a sexy woman he wanted in his bed and – hopefully – life.

If there was anyone who could damper her mood worse than herself, Elizabeth hadn't met that person yet. She was definitely her own worst enemy.

Mood sour, Elizabeth followed behind Jason, narrowing her eyes at just about every man Jason glared at as they passed. Just seeing the appreciative looks they gave her made her pout even more because she wasn't getting those looks from _him_.

Her eyes narrowed even more as she glared at Jason's back. Why did he have to be so stupid and clueless?

They were almost to the bar when a shrill and, Elizabeth cringed, very familiar voice called out to Jason from behind them.

She squeezed his hand, silently on her hands and knees begging him to ignore the woman, but he didn't. It was probably punishment, she thought as they turned to greet Carly.

He was most likely punishing her for wearing the outfit she wanted to change out of at first but he wouldn't allow and then him changing his mind and wanting her to change but she didn't and…

Now that was just way too confusing to even think about any more.

Elizabeth plastered her brightest smile on her face as the blond woman stopped before them. Her smiled didn't even falter as Carly's eyes narrowed upon seeing who Jason was with. She mentally patted herself on the back.

"What," Carly snarled, "is she doing here?"

"She's my date," Jason said, pulling Elizabeth closer into his side.

_Don't take that as more than it is, just… don't. _

"Are you kidding me?" Carly screeched, flailing her arms about. "How could you do this to me, Jase? This is supposed to be my night and not only do you bring her but you bring her as your date!"

"I'm here, aren't I?" he sighed what Elizabeth could only guess was out of tiredness.

Carly stomped her foot, giving her best pout. "Jase…"

"Carly," he warned. "If you want me to leave, I will."

As Carly narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth, Elizabeth gave just as good of a glare at Jason. Is that why he brought her there, just so he could have a reason to _not _stay? Well that was just mean.

But just as quickly as that thought entered her mind, it left. He wouldn't use her like that. Plus, the wink he gave her reassured her convictions about that. He was just trying to get Carly to shut up.

Like that was ever going to happen.

"Fine," Carly stomped her foot once more. Turning her attention back to Elizabeth, she tilted her head to the side, her lips curled in disgust as she looked Elizabeth up and down. "You look like a hooker."

"Oh, good!" Elizabeth beamed in mock enthusiasm. "And here I thought people weren't going to get what my _costume_ was for this _Halloween_ party."

Carly didn't get a chance to open her mouth to retort before Elizabeth kept going. "But tell me Carly, why didn't you dress up as anything?"

Hearing Jason cough, Elizabeth looked up at him to see his fist covering his mouth as his eyes sparkled. She nibbled on her bottom lip and frowned as she turned her attention back to the seething Carly.

"I'm a witch and you know it."

"Believe me, I know it. But that still doesn't explain –"

"Enough," Jason cleared his throat. He gave Elizabeth a pointed look but she only shrugged. There was no way in hell he was going to expect her to be on her best behavior. He's the one who made her come and she was going to act any way she wanted to, she thought childishly, folding her arms across her chest for good measure.

"Carly, thanks for inviting _us,_" he held up his hand to silence her when she made to correct him. "I'm sure you have a lot of guests to greet so if you need to find us we'll be at the bar."

"That's fine, Jase. Just fine. I'll be sure to catch up with the two of you in a while." When Elizabeth made a face, Carly cocked her head to the side and gave her sweetest-I'll-get-the-last-word-smile. "And don't worry Elizabeth. I'll make sure to send all the men looking for a good time your way," she winked.

"Oh, that's it," Elizabeth snarled as she went to follow Carly's retreating, laughing form. But, unfortunately and fortunately, Jason's arm snaked around her middle, pulling her back against his chest.

"Just forget about her and let's get a drink."

Pretending to ponder over the matter for several more moments – just so she could lean against him some more – Elizabeth held herself rigid then slumped against him, taking yet another moment to bask in his male warmth.

Finally, she nodded and allowed Jason to turn her in his arms. "Hooker or not, I still think you look good."

She tilted her head back, the corner of her mouth lifting. "Thank you. I know it's a far cry from who I am but I really didn't have anything else to wear."

"Isn't that the point of nights like this? To be who you're not?"

Elizabeth was a little disappointed in that statement. Granted, she was the farthest thing from a hooker. But her costume wasn't _that_ much like a hookers. It was more like a sexy outfit one would wear to a club. Someone who was sexy and desirable.

Damn it all, why did he not see her as attractive?!

"Yeah, I guess your right."

"One day you'll finally realize that I'm always right."

"Didn't you say something about going to the bar?"

Jason tapped her nose before he turned around, grasping her hand once more to weave his way through the crowd.

When they finally made it to the bar he ordered them both a drink, not even bothering to ask her what she wanted. She always ordered the same drink – a Malibu Bay Breeze – and Jason knew that. Thanking him for the drink, Elizabeth sipped on it slowly as they turned on their bar stools to watch the crowded ballroom.

They laughed together as they made comments about other peoples costumes. They talked about their week, keeping their heads close together to hear each other over the loud music.

When she finally finished her drink, Jason plucked it out of her hand, turning around to order her another one. It was pointless to tell him that she didn't want another one just yet, so she let him order it, knowing that she would sip it even slower the next time.

Waiting for him to turn around again, Elizabeth watched the crowd. She saw Ric, dressed as the Grim Reaper try to dance with several women. He made his way from trying to dance with Sky Jacks who was dressed as a Queen to match her husband's costume of a king, to trying to dance with a woman who looked very ragged in her street sweeper costume. When even she declined an invitation, Elizabeth looked on with horror as he turned in her direction and began to make his way towards her. She moved closer to Jason, pressing her body into his side. He turned and when he saw what Elizabeth was looking at, Jason placed his arm around her waist and tugged her closer, dipping his head to whisper in her ear as he handed her the drink.

"I guess I'm helping you fight off your first creep of the night."

After throwing back her head to laugh, Elizabeth placed her hand against his cheek, looking into his eyes. "Thank you," she said, for many things. For helping her steer Ric away, for holding her in that moment, for just being him – despite his bad judgment when it came to women and not being in love with her as she was in love with him.

Seeing that Ric was not going to come near her, Jason removed his arm from around her and Elizabeth felt like slapping him.

But she held back, of course. Besides, how would she explain that slight violent action? 'Gee, sorry Jason. I just had to smack you because you keep making me get all mushy inside when you do things like put your arm around me, and then you have to go and ruin it by acting like my good ole' bud.'

Somehow, Elizabeth didn't think that would be a good enough excuse.

Sighing, she settled back in her seat, taking big gulping sips of her drink. Before she knew it, her drink was gone and she was turning to Jason to get her another one.

Only, he wasn't paying her the least bit of attention. As a matter of fact, if she were to leave in that moment she knew he wouldn't even notice it. He was too busy laughing with the bitch that he had over three weeks ago.

Elizabeth remembered that one all too well. She was the one who had the nerve to say hello to her as she and Jason made their way to his apartment as Elizabeth was leaving hers to meet Emily for drinks. Elizabeth had been nice to the woman at the time, but what she really wanted to do was shove the bimbo back into the elevator and knee Jason is his not so private place.

One could not call their package private when one let so many women see said package.

Not looking at the bar, Elizabeth slammed her drink down, signaling for another as Jason's hand found its way to the slut's thigh. When the bartender gave her the drink, Elizabeth brought it right to her lips, sucking the thing down like water.

The bartender didn't even have a chance to walk away when she slammed the empty glass back on the bar.

Did he have to be so damn touchy feely?

Just when Elizabeth had all that she thought she could stomach, another one of his flavors popped up – this one from four weeks ago – planting herself right in front of Elizabeth, blocking her view from the man she despised and loved all at once.

She heard his masculine chuckling as she reached blindly for her drink. When her hand touched nothing but air, Elizabeth's head snapped around to give the bartender a mean glare. The young man swallowed, giving her drink to her so quickly that some spilled over the rim.

_Oh,_ she sucked her lips in as her attention yet again focused on the happy freaking trio. It seemed Mr. Morgan was being very friendly, making sure he gave each whore equal attention by placing his beer on the bar so he could place his other hand on the other girl's thigh.

Why was he doing this to her?!

Spinning around in her seat, Elizabeth signaled the bartender with an angry flick of her wrist that dared him to defy her.

He did not.

Elizabeth reached out and grasped his tie, bringing his face inches from hers. She practically growled as she issued her order. "Bring me something strong and keep it coming."


	5. Chapter 5

Prompt #5: **"When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before." Mae West**

**-5-**

Jason's eyes were on the blond woman standing next to him, his hand was resting on her thigh, moving slightly, he even nodded every once in a while.

But he had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

He saw her lips moving, he heard her sultry voice pass through those lips, but damn if he knew what she was talking about.

He was too busy thinking about someone else.

Someone who was doing her best to drive him crazy that night.

Tonight was supposed to be like any other night that he spent with Elizabeth, except for the party and costumes. He always had the best time when he was with her. Whether they went out for drinks, played a game of pool, took his bike for a ride on the cliff roads, or just sat on her couch watching movie after movie. When he was with her he felt at ease which allowed him to enjoy himself.

That's why he had been so adamant on having her go to the party with him. Carly would bitch at him for not going; she would harp on him and annoy the hell out of him, so he had decided to go, not wanting to hear anything from the woman.

Which brought him back to his latest predicament. The only way he could enjoy himself that night is if Elizabeth went with him, but when he showed up at her door to pick her up his first thought was that he was at the wrong door.

Elizabeth, _his_ Elizabeth would not wear something like that.

But she did and she looked damn good in it too. The only other time he had seen that much of her skin was when he walked into her apartment without knocking, catching her as she made her way from the bathroom to her room with just a towel wrapped around her small frame.

It had turned him on then and it sure as hell turned him on just thinking about it.

But the outfit she had on… that was different. She was deliberately showing off her goods and he didn't like it.

Well, he _liked_ it, but it still wasn't right.

Elizabeth was reserved, beautiful in the classic sense. She wasn't some bimbo who pranced around in skimpy outfits just to gain some jerks attention. Much like the two women he was entertaining at that moment.

Elizabeth was sexy in her own way. Hell, she tortured him enough in their friendship it was hard not to notice how beautiful, attractive, funny…

Son of a bitch, he really needed to stop thinking about her that way.

Shaking his head slightly, Jason put on what he hoped was his trademark grin and turned his attention to the red head at his right. He really should dismiss these two women and turn his attention back to Elizabeth who only came because he practically begged her.

But he needed a bit of a distraction in that moment. If he didn't, he would do something he would regret and he respected Elizabeth and the friendship he had with her too much to make a stupid move like that.

The red head – Christy? Katie? Laura? – laughed, throwing her head back as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. By all rights, it was a sexy laugh, a laugh meant to seduce a man, but it wasn't working on him.

The only thing that was seducing him at that moment was the thought of his best friend's milky skin peaking out from all places in her…

_Stop it_! he commanded himself, sighing as his eyes closed for a moment. This was getting way too out of hand.

Both of the women standing beside him kept moving closer to him, pressing their chests into his shoulders as they tried to out do the other in gaining his attention. Just when he was about to beg off, excusing himself from both women he heard a familiar laugh, a laugh that always seemed to cause his chest to swell to a tightening pain.

He shoved the blonde out of the way, seeing an empty stool. He frowned, squinting his eyes. Seconds later his eyes were wide with shock as he noticed the several – empty – shot glasses lining the bar where Elizabeth was _supposed_ to be sitting.

What the hell?

He heard her laugh again and – once again – he had to shove the blonde out of his view to see where Elizabeth was. When he spotted her, he saw red. And not because of the special red lighting illuminating the room.

No, this was from anger.

Elizabeth, the woman who tortured him without even knowing it, the woman who was basically the center of his every thought, was dancing with another man.

They were practically having sex out on the dance floor!

This was not going to work, Jason thought as he made his way to the dance floor, ignoring, forgetting, not even caring about the two women he left in his wake.

He was almost to the dancing – damn them – couple when another woman stepped in front of him. He ignored her and went to step around her but the annoying thing moved with him.

"Remember me?" she purred.

Annoyed, Jason glanced down, then back up, his eyes narrowing when he saw the man's head dip into Elizabeth's neck. A neck that was thrown back in laughter.

Someone was going to die.

"Move."

She didn't even twitch.

"I don't know about you, but I can't stop thinking about our night together."

He rolled his eyes, like he hadn't ever heard that before. His hands closed around her upper arms, ready to move her to the side when he heard her hurt voice. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Why did he put himself in these positions? Why did he sleep with so many women when he knew it was never going to be anything more than that?

He knew the answer, but he'd be damned if he finally admitted it to himself.

He glanced down at the woman again. She seemed familiar, another one of his mistakes from too much drinking at Jakes. He couldn't remember, but he didn't think he even took this one back home.

When she ticked her head to the side a vague memory from when he met her slipped into his mind. He was pretty sure she had a man's name. Ryan, Chris, Erin… something like that.

"My names Sam, we spent an amazing night together."

That's right! He remembered her now. She was the whiner who wouldn't give up at first. After several drinks he finally gave into her attempts but if he remembered – which he was pretty damn sure he did… now – he only kissed her then turned away from her. Maybe it was because he was tired of the same game he played week after week or because she did not appeal to him at all – or both – but they hadn't slept together.

She had even told him that he would regret rejecting her.

Like that was going to happen.

Sighing, he moved her out of his way. "I don't have time for this."

"You think you're so much better than me, don't you." He didn't turn around. As he finally made his way to Elizabeth, he thought he heard her say something about getting even but quickly dismissed it, his entire attention focused on Elizabeth and the man he now recognized as Dr. Patrick Drake.

The same doctor Elizabeth had told him, numerous times, always hit on her. She didn't seem to mind his attention at the moment, Jason thought as he watched their bodies – practically freaking plastered together – move with the music.

Yeah, someone was definitely going to die.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Jason stood with his feet apart, waiting for one of them to notice him.

Elizabeth was the first; finally opening her eyes when she turned her body to dance even more provocatively with the asshole. She stared at him for several seconds, her body still moving with Patrick's and Jason was so turned on that it hurt.

Her eyes were smoky, somewhat glazed from what he figured was the many shots she took. And as she stared at him, her body moving slow and sensual, Jason couldn't help but think of her under him as they…

_Do not go there!_

"What," he bit out when Elizabeth finally straightened away – about time – from Patrick. "Is going on?"

Elizabeth shrugged, bringing her shoulder to her ear as her eyes closed for a moment. "Just dancing."

"Yeah, I can see that." He looked on with narrowed eyes as Patrick snaked his arm around Elizabeth's waist, bringing her back to his chest. "Get your hands off her."

"I don't think so."

He took a step towards the son of a bitch but stopped when Elizabeth leaned further back, tilting her head to the side as she sucked her lips in. He could see her swaying on her feet again, most likely because she was having a hard time standing on those damn fuck-me-boots.

And boy did he want to.

"What's the matter, _Jase_?" She had never called him that and it bothered him that she did just then. "Are you done ignoring me finally?"

"I wasn't ignoring you."

She snorted, bending forward. Jason was pretty sure that if Patrick's arm was not around her waist she would have fell over. Kind of like the first time he ever met her.

When she straightened, taking a long time to do just that, she smiled at him but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "When did you realize I wasn't sitting there anymore?"

He didn't answer and when she went on, he knew she wasn't waiting for one. "I've been out here dancing with Patrick for the past three songs and you're just now coming out here."

His face fell. She was hurt and he did that to her. He never wanted to hurt her. He would rather die than see her hurt in any way. Knowing that he was the one who did that to her made him so angry with himself he didn't know what to do.

So he apologized. "Elizabeth, I'm…I'm sorry. I was a jerk and you didn't deserve that."

He saw her face soften so he pushed forward. "I invited you here so that I could have a good time with you and I've ruined it so far." Lifting his shoulders, Jason gave an apologetic smile, "Please forgive me?"

Her lower lip pushed out and Jason knew she wasn't mad at him anymore. That was one of the things he lo…– he mentally cleared his throat – liked best about her. Though she let him know when she was mad at him, she never held a grudge. They were too good of friends to stay angry with each other.

"You were a jerk," she mumbled as she took a step forward, away from Patrick. "But I forgive you."

His shoulders fell as his smile turned genuine.

"Guess what?" she purred as she left Patrick's arms and placed her hands on Jason's shoulders. "You owe me a dance."

"Elizabeth?" Patrick asked with a wounded voice.

She quickly looked at Patrick, stating, "He owes me a dance," then turned her attention back to Jason.

As much as he hated dancing, he knew he owed her this dance. So, placing his hands on her hips, Jason pulled her closer to him until their bodies touched from their feet to their chests. His eyes never left hers.

He didn't move, just stood there as she swayed slowly, his hands squeezing her hips with each provocative move she made.

This was freaking torture.

Her hands moved slowly from his shoulders to his neck, the tips of her fingers fluttering through the hair at his nape. "I was mad at you," she whispered.

"I know," he whispered in return. "I'm sorry."

"Just don't ignore me anymore, ok?"

For some reason, Jason thought her request wasn't just about the rest of the night and that confused him. She was his best friend. Yeah he was an idiot for thinking he could flirt with some women to take his mind off of just how much he wanted her, but that only happened earlier. He could never ignore her.

He couldn't even imagine what his life would be like without her.

"Never," he spoke softly but with force. He pulled her even closer to him and when she tucked her head into the crevice of his neck, Jason leaned down, moving his hands to the small of her back, then finally wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight.

He never wanted to let go.


	6. Chapter 6

Prompt #6: **Violence and Bloodshed**

**-6-**

There were not many times in Elizabeth's life where she could remember being truly and deeply happy.

Growing up in the Webber household, life could be trying at times. Being the youngest, Elizabeth always felt the need to compete with her older siblings for her parent's attention and, sometimes, affection.

She had a somewhat happy childhood, but she still couldn't remember being blissfully happy.

She was finally starting to understand what that feeling was like.

Being in Jason's arms, swaying slightly against his hard body as his warmth surrounded her, Elizabeth just _knew_ what it meant to be happy.

A part of her was still angry with him for ignoring her while she drank shot after shot – something she was still feeling the affects of. He had invited her, he was the one who practically begged her to go and then he had the nerve – the nerve! – to flirt with some floosies and forget that she was even sitting there.

Not being a violent person, Elizabeth was a little shocked by her visions of pouring her drink over Jason's head right before she knocked one girl out then the other. Since those feelings were just as tempting as they were satisfying, she walked away from the bar, hurt that Jason hadn't noticed, and sad that she wasn't surprised.

Her intentions were to leave Jason, get a cab and go home. But when Patrick Drake came up behind her, telling her how sexy she looked and asked her to dance, Elizabeth was too drunk to remember her original plan and went along with Patrick.

It was sick, though, how throughout every dance they shared, Elizabeth could not stop thinking about Jason and how much she wanted to be dancing with him.

And now she was.

And she never wanted to stop.

Every so often she could feel the tingle of his lips as they grazed her bare shoulder, skimming up the side of her neck and stopping right below her ear. He wasn't actually kissing her, but he was doing a damn good job of tempting her.

And she was still slightly drunk enough to rip his shirt open right there on the dance floor and have her way with him.

The image – which Elizabeth knew by heart, she had painted his body many times – was so hilarious to her – not his naked chest but her revealing that naked chest in front of all of Port Charles – that Elizabeth began to giggle.

Her giggles started off silently, her body shaking against his which caused him to look down at her to see what was causing her to spasm. Then, when she saw his face, she burst out in laughter. Throwing her head back – it was more like her entire body, thank goodness Jason still held her in his strong arms – Elizabeth gave a full body laugh, and when she saw the many people who were looking at her – it was a little odd to see so many people from an upside down angle, Elizabeth straightened, burying her head in Jason's shoulder to silent her giggles.

Jason stood there, waiting for her to finish before he cupped her neck, urging her to look up at him. When she did, the breath was knocked right out of her lungs – something she was all too familiar with happening. His eyes were beautiful no matter what his mood was, but when they shined with humor or amusement, Elizabeth could never bring herself to look away.

It was like his eyes entrapped her with how they shined.

"What are you laughing at?" Though the party was still in full swing and many people had to yell to be heard over the loud music, Jason didn't. He simply leaned down and whispered in Elizabeth's ear, making her imagine what it would be like if he were to whispering loving words in her ear as they made love.

Great, she just _had_ to go there.

"Nothing," she whispered in return, hoping to God that she sounded sexy, seductive, anything to make the man have the same thoughts she was having. It was only fair, damn it.

He pulled her tighter against him, his leg wedging between hers.

Her pulse quickened. Was he deliberately trying to kill her? A corner of her mouth tilted at the thought. He may be trying to do just that, but what a way to go.

"You're laughing at something. Tell me."

"You don't want to know."

How he could pull her even tighter against him, she didn't know, but he managed it. His voice got lower, "I think I do."

What to do? What to do?

Did she tell him exactly what she was thinking, shocking the hell out of him? Or did she make something up?

Decisions…

Shocking him would be both hilarious and devastating. His face would be priceless; he might even see her as something other than his friend. But it would also change that friendship and Elizabeth wasn't sure if it would be for the better. That terrified her so much she decided to lie.

It was the safer of the two.

"I was just thinking about the time I asked you to dance at Emily's wedding and how horrified you looked."

"I was not horrified."

"Well you looked like you rather do anything other than dance with me," she grumbled, still annoyed at him for crushing the first and only time she took the initiative to move their friendship up a notch.

She had planned it for weeks before the day. She would ask him to dance, they would look into each others eyes while holding the other close and just know that there was something other than a friendship between them. But when she finally got the nerve to ask him to dance at the reception he had given her such a look that she felt her heart brake into a million pieces.

"Its not that I didn't want to dance with _you,_" he emphasized the last word by squeezing her waist. "I just hate dancing."

Though he had told her that many times since that night, it was still a sore subject with herself that he ruined the tiny bit of courage she had. "Anyway," she swallowed, swatting him in the shoulder. "I was just thinking about how… unhappy you looked that night but here we are," she ran her fingers through the hair at his nape. Her eyes focused intently on his as she smiled. "Dancing."

"Yeah," his voice sounded suddenly raspy, very rugged. He cleared his throat, never looking away from her. "It's not as bad as I thought it was." When her fingers stilled, he rushed on. "Dancing isn't as bad as I thought. I guess it's better because it's with you."

Her chest rose and fell, higher and higher with each breath she took. Was he…

Did this mean…

Why couldn't she read his mind!

Their eyes stayed locked, almost as if the entire room faded away and it was just the two of them. Her eyes flickered as she saw his head inch forward, just a tiny bit, but holy cow it was something.

He was going to kiss her.

His head lowered even more, his eye lids lowering as well until all she saw was a slit of blue.

Her mouth turned dry as she felt one of his hands move from her back, sliding up her spine until it cupped the back of her neck, pulling her forward.

Was she dreaming? Was this one of her cruel dreams that seemed so real only to have her wake up at the best part and realize that it was just her stupid imagination?

It sure didn't feel like that but one could not be too cautious.

They were only inches apart and Elizabeth finally found it safe to lower her lashes as well.

So close…

Their lips almost touching…

And some son of a bitch bumped into him, making him jerk back, leaving her hanging there, lips puckered and kissing nothing but air.

That's it, she thought as she straightened quickly, avoiding his gaze. There was some higher power that hated her and wanted to cause her as much pain and torture and embarrassment as possible.

She probably killed a cat in a past life or something. That would explain her diversion to the furry little creatures.

When she finally braved a glance up at Jason, he was turning back around to her – after 'accepting' the apology of the young guy who seemed scared out of his mind for even being in the same room as Jason, let alone bumping into him. The look on Jason's face was so murderous that Elizabeth felt her face pale.

Was he mad at her for some reason?

She heard him curse and mumble under his breath about bad timing – whatever that could mean or even matter in the situation – before he focused on her again. He cleared his throat, tucking his hands in his pockets and Elizabeth felt the loss of those hands on her like a thirsty person needing water.

She was so pathetic.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "We should… it's getting crowded, we should go back to the bar."

Nodding, Elizabeth accepted the hand he held out to her, following him as he weaved his way through the crowd. They didn't make it to the bar before another one of Jason's sluts came up to him, placing her hand on his chest while she slid close to him.

For the love of God! Elizabeth was still holding his hand and this bimbo didn't even seem to care. For all she knew, Elizabeth could be his girlfriend, or – better – his wife. And here this girl comes, putting her hands all over Elizabeth's man.

She sighed. Sometimes, she hated to hear her own thoughts. Thank goodness she was smart enough to not voice those thoughts.

Elizabeth looked at the woman, recognizing her right away. Frustrated tears gathered and pooled at her lashes. There was no way she could compete with this one. Unlike the rest of the… the… bitches – that's right, she finally thought it – this one had been to Jason's apartment twice. And for someone like Jason, that was huge.

So huge that Elizabeth kissed – at least something was getting kissed – the rest of the night away. This woman was tall, all legs and big boobs. Her hair was a natural blond – which just made it worse, really – and she was drop dead gorgeous. Even her outfit outdid Elizabeth's in the revealing factor.

Elizabeth began to pull her hand away, not wanting to stand there, but Jason wouldn't let go. She frowned, his hand tightened around hers as he pulled her closer. When she finally focused on the conversation, all she could do was blink rapidly.

Jason was shooting the other woman down!

When the blonde gave Elizabeth a dirty look, she was still too shocked to give a cocky-ha-I-won-look back in return. She didn't even look at the woman as she walked away, but stared up at Jason with an open mouth and large eyes.

He rolled his own, dragging her towards the bar. "I told you I brought you here so that I could have a good time. I'm not leaving you."

"But…"

"If you mention earlier, I swear I won't take you on a bike ride for three weeks."

She closed her mouth.

"I was stupid earlier. I wasn't even having a good time with them." He grabbed her waist between his large hands, lifting her up and plunking her down on a barstool, and then took the one next to her. "The only fun I've had tonight is when I've been with you; I'm not stupid enough to ruin that again."

Maybe, she thought as Jason turned to buy them more drinks – water for her – maybe she would get her kiss after all.

Maybe she might even get something more.


	7. Chapter 7

**Prompt #7: Hey kids, want some candy?**

**-7-**

"What do you say about getting out of here?"

Elizabeth's head snapped up, turning to look at Jason with bleary eyes. Her vision was a little foggy but she was pretty sure it was Jason she was looking at.

Apparently, drinking a bunch of glasses of water after taking several – she hadn't kept count – shots was not enough to sober a person up completely. Though she didn't feel like she was on top of the world anymore, and she wasn't finding every thing hilarious either, she still felt groggy and tired.

Which would explain why she was falling asleep at the bar only moments before, her head resting nice and comfortably on Jason's shoulder as he rubbed her back.

Why did he have to go and ruin that by talking?

"I don't care."

Jason stood, keeping his arm around her. She tilted her head back to accommodate the new position. "You're falling asleep. I should bring you home and get you in bed."

"I bet's that what you say to all your women." She meant for that to come out as a joke, as something to make him laugh. Really, she did. But the pout on her lips and the surly done in which she spoke didn't quite get that point across.

Once she thought about Jason with other women, it always put her in an annoyed mood.

He smirked, probably to humor her since he was most likely figuring out what a _loser_ she was. "Come on," he pulled her to his feet, holding her against his side as they made their way through the crowd. "You're getting cranky, that's when I know you need to get some sleep."

"I am not cranky," she said as she pinched his side. It wasn't a very good pinch since the man didn't have an inch of fat on him. Sometimes he made her sick with how perfect he was.

Chuckling, Jason glanced around the room, to look for whom she didn't know. He frowned when he didn't find who he was looking for but Elizabeth knew all too well what he was searching for.

A slut, that's who. He probably couldn't wait to get rid of her so that he could meet up with one of his conquests and really begin his night.

Despicable!

_Now_ she was getting cranky. As he began to search the room once more, Elizabeth decided to let him feel as much pain as she felt in that moment.

She stepped on his foot.

With her spiked heel.

"Son of a…" Jason jerked away from her, glaring once he regained his balance. "What the hell?"

Seeing his grimace of pain, Elizabeth immediately felt guilty. It wasn't like he knew she was in love with him. It wasn't his fault that he didn't feel the same way about her. He just wasn't attracted to her. "Sorry," she mumbled as she looked down at the floor. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Elizabeth glanced up at him through her eyelashes, shifting from spiked heel to spiked heel. "It was an accident."

His face softened as he shifted again. "Maybe you shouldn't wear such high shoes." Sliding his arm around her waist once more, they began to make their way to the lobby again. "We both know how clumsy you are."

"Hey," she swatted his chest. "I am not clumsy."

"The first time I met you was right after you fell."

"I tripped over a large crack in the sidewalk that, as a matter of fact, Sonny still has not fixed. You should get on him about that."

His look told her how much he was trying not to laugh. "He owns the building so it's his responsibility to make sure his residents are safe," she added with a nod of her head.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Sonny's not responsible for the time you knocked over the drink table at Michael's fourth birthday party."

He _would_ remember that. "Ugh, Carly was agitating me and you know how animated I get when I'm agitated. I just happened to swing my arm right into the fruit juice bowl."

"Yeah, staining the new carpet Carly just put in."

Her eyes narrowed as she stopped in her tracks. "It was an ugly carpet anyway," she spoke through gritted teeth. "Sonny actually thanked me when I left."

Jason smiled, his hand cupping her cheek. "I like it when you're all riled up."

His thumb was moving against her cheek, causing such amazing warmth to spread through her that Elizabeth wanted to savor that moment forever. It could have been deemed a perfect moment if Jason didn't go and ruin it by breaking eye contact with her and scanning the room once more. If he even thought about talking to one of those sluts before they left she was going to hurt him and this time not even feel the least bit sorry.

"What," she asked as she pulled away from him, throwing her hands up in annoyance, "are you looking for. Or should I say who?"

He didn't even glance at her. "I haven't seen Sonny all night and I was going to let him or Carly know that we were going to borrow the car."

Relief flooded through her. So he wasn't such a jerk after all. "Why can't we just take your bike? It's here and I know you wouldn't leave it just anywhere."

He sighed, finally glancing down at her. "I don't want to but I think I drank too much. I can't seem to keep my eyes open. Don't want to risk driving home with you on the bike."

Rubbing her tired eyes, Elizabeth smiled. "That's very smart of you. I'm precious cargo, you know."

"I know," he returned her smile, tipping his head slightly to the side.

Once they finally made their way to the lobby, Jason reached into his pocket, taking his cell out. Elizabeth watched him as he called Max, his face scrunching in annoyance before he cursed and hung up.

"Max just told me that Sonny and Carly left a while ago, so the cars not here. He'll send it back, but since there's so much traffic going in and out of this hotel, it'll take a while for the car to get here."

"Oh," she sighed. It wasn't like she wanted the night to end but sometimes a girl just needed to sleep and Elizabeth hated it when her sleep was interrupted. When she wanted a bed to sleep in, she wanted a bed, damn it. "I guess we could go back inside and wait."

As she spoke, Jason let out a huge yawn. She mimicked his action, letting one out just as good.

"I don't want to go back in there."

"Good, 'cause neither do I."

Placing his hands on his hips, Jason glanced around the lobby. "We're in a hotel."

"Yes, the one your family owns."

"Hotels have rooms."

She was too tired to even think too much into that statement. They both just wanted to sleep and she knew it. "You are a genius."

One corner of his mouth tilted into what she knew was his trademark grin. A grin that would normally melt her right to the floor, and she had to admit it still had an affect on her no matter how tired she was. He steered her to one of the three circle couches that decorated the lobby, pushing her down in a seat.

"Sit here and wait while I get us a room."

A room?

As in one?

They had slept on her couch many times, but never in a bed. Did he feel that comfortable with her that he could sleep in the same bed with her and not think that anything other than sleeping would come out of it?

Or maybe that was just a slip of the tongue. Maybe he meant he was going to get more than one room.

Or maybe he was just that tired that all he _could_ do was go to sleep and didn't even have the energy to think that it would be a little weird.

Or maybe…

"Looks like he's suckered another one."

Elizabeth glanced up to see a short woman standing before her, glaring down at her like she was the woman's worst enemy. "Excuse me?"

"Weren't you just with Jason?"

Elizabeth frowned, looking left, than right, than back up at the woman. Feeling uncomfortable with the glaring woman standing over her, Elizabeth stood. "Can I help you?"

Crossing her arms over her chest – a very big chest that took up half of the woman's body – she tilted her head to the side. "It's sad how he can wrap little pathetic girls like you around his finger."

"Listen, I don't know who…"

The woman ignored her. "I mean, look at you. You're this sweet innocent girl who's probably never done a crazy thing in her life and here you are playing dress up. Trying to look like a sexy, desirable woman. I'm here to tell you that it didn't work."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. Who the hell did she think she was?

"You've probably tried to get his attention all night. Sure he stayed by your side, but he hasn't even glanced at you like he wanted you once, has he?"

Her eyes were now slits as she glared at the woman. Her throat felt as she listened to this stranger tare her apart, listing all of her insecurities at her feet like they were written on her face.

"He's humoring you. What he really wants is a real woman, a woman he can sink himself into all night and find the best pleasure."

She took a step towards Elizabeth, pointing at her. "He doesn't want some little girl like you." She pointed to herself, jabbing her finger against her cleavage. "What he wants is someone like me. I should know, since he's told me plenty of times before while he screwed me senseless."

Disgusted – not even jealous of this skank – Elizabeth shook her head as she walked away.

Towards the entrance of the hotel in hopes of finding a cab.

* * *

Jason tapped the pen he held in his hand against the counter as he waited for the clerk to give him his receipt for the room. He knew he should have gotten two rooms but the idea of sleeping in the same bed with Elizabeth was too tempting.

He wasn't going to take advantage of her, that was the last thing he wanted to do. They were too good of friends for him to ruin it by sleeping with her. She deserved so much better than him.

Which is why he resisted the temptation to be with her every second of every damn day.

When the clerk turned around, handing him the key to the room and the receipt, Jason snatched it out of his hand, not even waiting for the directions to the room. He was too tired to wait and the idea of being curled up with Elizabeth was just enough to keep him awake until they made it to the room.

It was strange how before he met her he was able to sleep just fine. But after the first time they both fell asleep on her couch, Jason was not able to sleep that good unless she was in her arms.

That might explain why he always found himself going to her apartment and suffering through movie after movie. It was worth it, watching pointless movies, to just be with her.

The cuddling on the couch was always just an added bonus.

As he made his way to the lobby, Jason walked fast with anticipation of making it to the room when he spotted the woman from earlier talking to Elizabeth. He frowned as he saw Elizabeth's body stiffen right before she walked away.

He could tell that something was wrong.

Not even stopping to find out what Sam did to her; Jason made his way towards Elizabeth. Dread making his footsteps faster than before.

As Jason reached her, turning her to face him, he saw the tears in her eyes and it broke his heart.

Whatever happened, he had to fix it.

He just had to.


	8. Chapter 8

**Prompt #8: The girl needs some monster in her man.**

**-8-**

Some people were just mean.

Mean and ugly and rude.

How could a person get so much pleasure in being mean? Did tearing a person apart and making that person feel like nothing get some people off?

Really, what's so thrilling about making a person cry?

Elizabeth wouldn't know, she thought as she sniffed, hugging her arms around her midriff in hopes of fighting off the chill of the night. She wasn't a mean person. Sure, she had some un-nice thoughts about people – Carly mostly, but that didn't count since it was a mutual thing. But there wasn't a time in her life where Elizabeth could remember making a person cry just because she wanted to, or because she was being mean.

Heck, people always seemed to take advantage of her _because_ of how nice she was.

So, why, out of every person that… that horrible pinched face woman could attack, why did she choose Elizabeth?

For a fleeting moment Elizabeth blamed Carly. Maybe the blonde wanted to get back at her for coming to the party and hired that woman to make Elizabeth feel lower than she had in a long time. But, just as quickly as that thought had entered her mind, Elizabeth pushed it aside. As much as Carly didn't like Elizabeth, she wouldn't stoop to having someone else do her dirty work.

She enjoyed tormenting and snarking at Elizabeth far too much to do something like that.

The wind began to pick up, causing her skirt to ruffle with each gust that blew by. Where the heck was a cab when she needed one?

Wishing one would speed past all the traffic that was trying to leave the hotel, Elizabeth peered over her shoulder and cringed. Damn it, she thought as she worked vigorously at trying to dash her tears away. She did not want Jason to see her like this and get all concerned and then ask what was wrong.

She wouldn't be able to lie to him because he had this annoying way of looking right at her and determining her a liar when she was upset and trying to cover what she really felt. She had thought that after the one time she actually blew up at him and told him to mind his own damn business that he would back off and not be so damn caring when she was upset.

But no such luck.

She felt his hand touch her shoulder, the warmth from the single touch making her realize just how cold she was. "What happened?" he asked as he turned her to face him. "What's wrong?"

And just like that, her tears fell even harder. So much for hiding them. Something in his tone, in the way he looked at her, in the gentle manner in which he touched her made the dam open.

He pulled her into his arms, cradling the back of her head against his chest with one large hand. His other ran up and down her spine, each stroke pulling her closer to his body. "Please," he whispered into her hair. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm an idiot," she mumbled against his chest. "A loser who's never going to realize what she can't have." Angry – at whom, she wasn't quite sure – Elizabeth pulled away from him, the back of her hand rubbing her eyes. "Look at me! I'm a fake."

Jason took a step towards her, but she held her hand up, taking a step back. "I'm tired of pretending."

"What are you pretending about?"

She lifted her shoulders in a high shrug, slapping her hands against her thighs. "Everything."

She could see the confusion – pity was more like it – in his eyes so she turned away, not wanting to see him feel sorry for her. Of all the feelings she wanted him to have towards her, pity didn't even make the list.

"Elizabeth," Jason spoke softly as he came up behind her. Slowly, he placed his hands on her shoulders and she heard him sigh when she didn't pull away. "Will you let me take you inside and to our room? You're freezing." As he spoke, he pulled her so that her back rested against his chest, as if to warm her.

She really just wanted to go home but he had told her earlier that he didn't feel safe driving. Meaning to mention getting a cab and how much she would rather do that, Elizabeth turned around in his arms. But once she saw his face, the concern for her written all over it, all she could do was nod.

What did it matter anymore anyway? A cab ride home where he'd ask her what happened or an elevator ride up to their room where he would ask her the same question. He'd get it out of her someway.

Staying meant she would get to a bed faster where she could fall asleep and forget about the horrible way the night ended. Where she could forget about the horrible… mean woman who felt the need to flaunt her relationship with Jason in Elizabeth's face.

There was no need for that. Elizabeth could see plain as day the many relationships Jason had and how she would never be apart of one with him. She wasn't the type of woman Jason liked. That's all there was to that.

Like he had so many other times that night, Jason linked his fingers with hers, leading her back to the hotel lobby. Elizabeth didn't glance around the lobby; she wasn't really seeing much of anything.

She was too much into her self pity to even care about what was going on around her. Tomorrow she would get over it, but in that moment she felt she deserved some much needed self pity.

Plus, she was still drunk enough to believe that.

The ding of the elevator brought Elizabeth out of her state of unawareness. She hadn't even realized they got on the elevator.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I did, I'm stupid," she pouted, leaning her forehead against his shoulder.

Her head bobbed with the deep sigh he released. "Since I know you're not stupid, I'm not going to take that for an answer."

"Well you should because it's true." Lifting her head, she relied on the wall to hold her up. "Just look at me. This isn't who I am but I wanted so badly to make this outfit work, to make it seem like I was a sexy woman."

"One, its Halloween and we've been over this, you're supposed to dress as something your not. Two, if that woman made you feel this way you should just forget about her. She's pissed at me because I didn't remember her from another time where I blew her off and I'm pretty sure she was taking it out on you. And three," his voice dropped. He turned to stand in front of her, bracing his hands against the wall, trapping her between his arms. "You're the sexiest woman I know."

She snorted. "Please, now you're the one sounding stupid." When he glared at her, she patted his cheek. "We both know that's a lie." He opened his mouth; she placed her finger against it. "Do you know how many people came up to me telling me how surprised they were at how I dressed? No one could believe I would dare ware something like this. Not even you."

"You shocked me when I saw you. But why is that a bad thing?"

"Because I can't pull something like this off!"

"You're pulling it off just fine."

His low growl gave her pause. She stared at him, feeling the threat of tears burning the back of her eyes once more. "I'm a boring person. I have no fun in my life and the one time I dare to change that I'm just reminded of why I don't spice my life up. Why I'm so dull."

Looking away from him, Elizabeth wiped away the one tear that made it past her lashes with a finger. His grasped her chin lightly, stroking it once… twice before tilting her face to look at him. "You're not dull."

She averted her eyes but he followed, moving his head until they made eye contact again. "I don't want you to change."

His thumb smoothed over her cheek. "You are perfect the way you are."

Elizabeth placed her hand over his, stilling his movements. In a voice filled with misery, with sadness, Elizabeth whispered: "I'm tired of being alone."

A tear spilled.

He shook his head.

"You have me."

Her eyelids flickered as his head dipped slightly, his gaze now focused on her mouth. Just before his own descended on hers, he whispered one more time, "You have me."

And then, for the first time, Jason kissed her. He kissed her with such gentle tenderness that her knees sagged. She leaned heavily on him, afraid to kiss him back, even more petrified to wrap her arms around him.

But she did.

With a moan, Elizabeth slid her hands up his arms, linking them behind his neck as she kissed him back. Their lips sliding back and forth against each others, their breaths mingling.

His arms held her in a death grip as his he licked the corner of her mouth, sliding his tongue along the seam of her lips, toying with her as he waited for entry. Sighing, Elizabeth opened her mouth for him – and boy was she glad that she did.

She had kissed plenty of men in her life – ok, not a whole bunch – but nothing was like this. There was never any other kiss that could make her toes curl, the breath escape her lungs in a rushing force. Nothing else, not even making love had caused the amazing feeling Elizabeth experienced in that moment as Jason kissed her senseless.

His hands, which had been gripping her waist, slid along her back, then lower to grip her. He squeezed, moaning as he tilted his head to the side for greater access of her mouth.

They were plastered against each other now and when Elizabeth experienced a large jolt, shifting her slightly off balance, she thought her world was finally tumbling over. But when Jason lifted her into his arms, her legs straddling his waist, she was coherent for only a moment to realize they were at their floor and he was carrying her to their room.

He pulled his mouth away from hers long enough to get the key into the door and Elizabeth took full advantage of the slight distraction. Running her lips along his cheek, across his jaw, and finally reaching his neck, Elizabeth nibbled. She nibbled and licked and moaned with desire.

He tasted so good. Better than she had ever imagined.

Running her tongue along his neck, Elizabeth reached his ear, nibbling on the lobe. He growled when he fumbled with the key several times before finally getting the door open. When he stepped inside, his lips were back on hers, this time with a bruising force. Gone was the gentleness.

Jason turned their bodies once they were inside the room, leaning her against the cold door. She gasped as the metal made contact with her exposed back. He pulled back, reaching down to tug his shirt over his head. She helped him as best she could but once his skin was exposed to her all she could do was touch him and look.

How many times had she dreamed of just this moment? Of being able to touch him so openly and feel no embarrassment in doing so.

Shirt off, Jason pulled them away from the door, making his way to the bed. On the way they kissed, they nibbled, they moaned, and they tore as much clothing off of each other as they could.

When they finally made it to the bed, all that was left was Elizabeth's boots. Dropping her gently onto the bed, Jason crouched above her, his hands sliding over her thigh to reach the zipper of her fuck me boots.

And he planned to.

With patience he didn't know he had, Jason pulled the zipper down, kissing each spot of milky skin that peered through once the zipper hissed past. Once the first boot was gone he made his way over to the second, knowing he was going to have to take that one off quicker. He hadn't allowed himself to look at Elizabeth fully yet. He knew if he did he would plunge right into her, needing to feel her wrapped around him.

He didn't want to rush that. There had to be some savoring to the night.

Jason reached for the second boot, blinking his eyes rapidly at the sudden fog that began to take over his mind. Shaking his head, he quickly ripped the boot off, not able to do the same as before and worship her leg.

Tossing the boot over his shoulder, Jason finally turned his full attention to Elizabeth and her bared body. He couldn't breathe.

She was beautiful.

She was milky and soft everywhere and he could practically feel the way she tingled for his touch. Everything about her was perfect in his eyes but when he looked up and saw the desire in her own, the sheer openness she was granting upon him Jason was lost.

His head dipped, his lips brushing against bellybutton. He smiled when he heard her suck in a breath, felt her stomach sink away from his lips. Looking up at her as he trailed his lips higher, Jason had to blink once more when his vision blurred. He should be concerned but so wrapped up in the moment, he couldn't care less.

All he wanted... needed, was to be with Elizabeth. It scared him a little, the intense need he was feeling towards her.

His lips hovered above her breast, his gaze now fixed on her puckering nub.

Never had he allowed himself to think about this moment. He had wanted to, many times, almost every day. But when thoughts of making love to Elizabeth began to sneak into his mind, he always ordered them away.

She was too good of a person to be caught up with him. She was caring and wonderful and the best person he knew. Jason didn't want to ruin that by bringing her into his life.

She deserved so much more than him. Than this.

His breath fanned across her chest, making her jolt off of the bed at the torment he was putting her through.

Jason was about to dip his head to taste her but stopped.

She deserved better than this. She didn't deserve for him take her to bed when she was obliviously feeling very vulnerable.

Growling in frustration, Jason rolled off of her, scrubbing his hands over his heavy eyes.

"_No_," he heard her moan, voicing exactly what he felt.

The bed rustled at his side before he felt the wait of her hand against his stomach. His erection throbbed for her to lower her hand just a little to touch him. He scrubbed at his face harder.

She was panting above him. "What's…" she let out a breath. "What's wrong?"

Just about everything, he thought. He opened his mouth to tell her that they couldn't do this, at least not right now. That he wanted to be with her so bad but now was not the time. She was hurt and she didn't need for him to take advantage of that because he couldn't control himself any longer.

His mind screamed for him to tell her how much he wanted her, how much he's always wanted her, but that now was not the right time until they talked about what would change between them after they finally went the final step and made love.

But he couldn't say any of that. When he opened his eyes, wondering why he couldn't speak he could see Elizabeth hovering over him. But she was a blur. Again, he opened her mouth but his tongue felt so heavy he couldn't speak. Swallowing was even proving difficult.

His body felt weak, his eyes kept shutting and when he was finally able to say anything he mumbled, "So… tired."

Then fell right to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**October 27th - Prompt #9: And the lights went out in Port Charles.**

**-9-**

Someone was poking him.

Feeling half dead, Jason fought to open his eyes and find out what the hell was going on. His body felt like it had been run over a couple of times, his mouth felt like he ate something rank, and… if whoever was poking him didn't stop he was going to rip his finger off.

When his mind broke through the fog of sleep Jason instantly knew he wasn't in a familiar place. The bed was comfortable, he could feel a warm body beside him, but this was defiantly not his bed.

Confused, Jason thought back to the last thing he remembered as he tried in vain to open his eyes. He remembered going to Carly's Halloween party with Elizabeth. They spent most of the night at the bar... no, there was a time when Elizabeth danced with that oversexed doctor.

Jason snorted, like he was any better.

He danced with Elizabeth, he remembered that. He also remembered having to control his body from responding to the way her body swayed against his. It was hard, he hardly succeeded, but Elizabeth hadn't noticed.

They had gone back to the bar after that, had a couple more drinks and then went home.

Wait… they didn't go home.

He was too tired or drunk, or both, to drive so they got a room. But didn't Elizabeth leave?

Try as he might, Jason could not figure out the rest of the night. There were foggy glimpses of following Elizabeth outside and holding her as she cried. They were in an elevator…

Son of a…

Jolting up in bed, Jason turned his head quickly to see who was next to him. Sure enough, Elizabeth sat next to him, her back resting against the head board, an angry – yet very attractive – pout curling her lips.

He didn't. He couldn't have. He did.

This was Elizabeth! The one woman in his entire life that he made a vow to never sleep with. She was the one woman he couldn't have because she was the one woman he wanted the most.

But yet he had slept with her. Whatever friendship they had was most likely ruined now.

As he stared at her with wide eyes, her pout stayed in tact. She was angry with him and he couldn't blame her. They had such a good thing going. A safe and trustworthy friendship and he ruined that by taking her to bed.

And he couldn't even remember it.

Maybe that was a good thing. If he couldn't remember what it was like to be with her then he wouldn't crave it twice as much as he normally did.

Yeah right, who was he kidding?

Sighing, Jason scrubbed his hands over his face. He looked away from her, not knowing what to say. "I'm…" he cleared his throat, tried again. "I'm sorry."

When he braved a look at her, her pout turned into a glare. "Don't worry about it."

She scooted off of the bed, making Jason realize for the first time since he saw her that morning that her hair was wet and she was wearing his shirt. Damn, she looked good in it. One side of the shirt fell off of her shoulder. The thing was huge on her and Jason had never seen her look more beautiful.

Her movements were jerky as she walked to the table at the other side of the room to pick up what looked like her clothes folded in a neat pile. "Elizabeth, wait," he called out to her when she made her way to the bathroom.

She stopped with her back to him. Her shoulders were so tight Jason wanted nothing more than to place his hands upon them and soothe her anger. He stayed on the bed instead, clearing his throat for what seemed like the millionth time that morning. "Please, look at me."

It would be easier to say this to her back, hell, it would be easier to say it over the phone where he was in a different country, but he wasn't a coward. He needed to make her understand and the only way to do that was to be a man and apologize and beg for her forgiveness to her face.

Slowly, she turned around, her face set in a hard, unreadable expression and Jason was beginning to feel the loss of her friendship already. Of all the things he could loose in life, loosing her would hurt the most.

"What I did, it was wrong."

Her face softened a little, her eyebrows crinkling slightly. He continued, "I shouldn't have slept with you."

When her face fell, Jason knew that was the wrong thing to say. He was never good with words which was normally fine with him, but this… this was torture. How did he tell her that sleeping with her was the biggest mistake he made not because he didn't _want_ to sleep with her – because he did, more than anything – but that he couldn't sleep with her because she was too good for him?

He was a bastard, a man who was never meant to be in any type of loving relationship. Woman like Elizabeth deserved to be loved with everything a man had. They deserved a happy life with a husband and kids and a freaking white picket fence.

All Jason could offer was his love – because he knew he could love her, probably already did – maybe some kids, but the white picket fence with the flower garden was out of the question. If they were ever to get a house, it would consist of guards stationed at every possible place of entry and a barbed wire fence.

He closed his eyes. This was for the best. He would probably lose her but she would end up happy in the end. "What happened here…"

"Like I said, don't worry about it." Her voice had never been that cold before.

"I shouldn't have…"

"Slept with me, I know. You don't have to worry about that, Jason."

"But…"

Again, she interrupted him. "What do you remember?"

For the first time in his life Jason felt himself blush. He swallowed thickly, his gaze focused in her direction but not quite on her. "We were in the elevator. I started… kissing you and then we ended up here."

There was a whole lot he left out. Like the way her lips felt against his and how turned on he was just thinking about the sound of her beautiful moans as he picked her up and settled her center right on his…

_Think about something else, damn it!_

"I don't really remember much else."

Relief mixed with hurt washed over her face. "It wasn't much of a night to remember."

Whoa… did she just insult his ability?

As if she could read his thoughts, Elizabeth sighed raising her arm as if to gesture then dropping it down to her side as if defeated. "I didn't mean it like… that. It wasn't much of a night to remember because we didn't sleep together."

Wait. "What?"

She smiled a smile that didn't reach her eyes. He hated it when she did that, when she felt the need to act like she was ok when they both knew she was faking it. He thought they had come to a point in their friendship where she didn't need to hold her feelings from him.

Just another thing he screwed up last night.

"We didn't sleep together."

So many different emotions ran through him in that moment that Jason couldn't pinpoint exactly how he felt about that. "We didn't have sex?"

"No."

When he continued to stare at her, his eyes blinking several times to try and grasp what really happened last night, Elizabeth let out a breath, looking away from him. "Yes we kissed, but when we got here you… you fell asleep."

"I just fell asleep?"

"Would you stop asking questions?" she huffed, her voice thick with emotion. What the hell did he do to her? "We were both drunk last night and before either one of us could do anything that we would regret later, you fell asleep."

He looked down at himself. "I'm naked."

"Yeah well, it didn't go any further."

He wanted to ask her how far it went. He wanted to find out so many things – mostly, how she felt about everything – but he didn't ask. As curious as he was to what it was they _did_ do, he could tell she was uncomfortable and wanted to end the conversation.

"I'm sorry."

"I swear to god, if you apologize one more time I might just hit you." Any other time Jason would have laughed, would have teased her about how adorable she was when she got feisty but it didn't feel right in that moment. Something drastic had changed between them and Jason didn't have the slightest idea as to how to fix it.

Since it was unlikely that he would ever be able to turn back time, he figured this would never be fixed.

"I have to change," Elizabeth spoke after a long, uncomfortable silence. Without looking at him, she turned back around and walked quickly to the bathroom. He braced himself to hear the slam of the door but she closed it quietly and that scared him.

Whenever Elizabeth was mad about something, she would slam things around. When she was hurt, she would act detached, moving around quietly. He remembered her being hurt from the night before and how much he hated himself.

But somehow, this was worse.

Just as quietly as she entered the bathroom, she exited. She tossed his shirt to him, sitting down to place her boots on. As he watched her, Jason could remember taking those boots off. The vision was a bit foggy but it was like he was in that moment again, kissing her skin, savoring its sweetness.

He groaned.

Her head snapped up to look at him. When their eyes connected she began to blush. He told himself to look away but he couldn't.

She was the first to look away.

His hand fisted in his shirt, feeling the slight dampness that her wet hair left behind. She stood, looking around the room then back at him. "I'm gonna go."

"Wait," he protested as he made to stand. "I'll take you home, just let me change." He was fixing the sheet around him so that when he stood, nothing peeked out, but stopped when Elizabeth shook her head.

"I'd rather be alone right now."

He wanted to tell her no, that he wouldn't leave her alone but held back. They both had a lot to think about and Jason didn't want to say anything else that would upset her more. She was obliviously sad about something and he needed time to figure out what that was.

He needed to remember their conversation from right before they started kissing to do that.

"Ok," he nodded once, slowly.

Elizabeth mimicked his nod then turned around and walked towards the door. Her hand was around the handle, posed to open the door when she turned around. The look on her face was earnest, making him sit up straighter.

"Jason?"

"Yes?"

Her mouth opened to speak, but she closed it tight, nibbling on the lower lip like she always did. Her expression went through so many emotions in that moment that all Jason could do was watch her and marvel in how beautiful she really was.

"Never mind," she mumbled as she turned around and opened the door.

Something within him told him to let her go, to forget that she had even turned around. It consumed him, this feeling. But he ignored it, needing to hear what she had to say just as much as he felt the need to let her go.

"Tell me."

She stopped again, slowly turning around. "If…" she cleared her throat. "If you hadn't fallen asleep and you could remember… what happened, would you really regret sleeping with me?"

"Yes." He didn't think before answering.

Tears gathered in her eyes, one spilling down her cheek and Jason knew that she didn't understand his answer. But before he could explain, she was gone.

He jumped out of the bed to go after her, but realized that by the time he got his clothes on, she would be gone. Since he wasn't about to embarrass the both of them by chasing her in a sheet, he stayed where he was, his chest throbbing with pain at her tears and hurt.

Rubbing the shirt she wore between his fingers, Jason stared at the door. He needed to tell her that she deserved better than him, that he wouldn't regret sleeping with her because he didn't want her – which he felt that's what she thought – but that because it wouldn't be right.

It was hard for him to believe that someone like Elizabeth could want him, but Jason was suddenly realizing that Elizabeth _was_ attracted to him, that her feelings ran deeper than just a friendship. There was always a part of him that wondered, that thought she might have feelings for him like he had for her, but he never wanted to find out.

It would be that much harder to fight off his own attraction if he knew hers matched his.

Sighing, Jason dropped the sheet, pulling the shirt over his head. He took a deep breath – inhaling her scent she left lingering in his shirt – as he walked towards the table where the rest of his clothes were folded neatly on top. As he changed, Jason only had one thought running through his mind.

He needed to get his best friend back.


	10. Chapter 10

**Prompt #10: "I met him fifteen years ago; I met this man with this blank, pale, emotionless face and the blackest eyes; the Devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven years trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that man's eyes was purely and simply... evil." Dr. Sam Loomis, Halloween.**

**-10-**

Sometimes… life sucked.

Just when things were going good. Just when Jason felt like his life was on the right track – well, as on the right track as an enforcers life could get – he had to go and ruin it. He had to go and _almost_ do the one thing he promised himself he would never do. Hurting his best friend in the process.

To add to that, ever since Elizabeth walked out, Jason could do nothing but think about how he was going to fix it. It just so happened that every scenario that played through his mind ended with him stripping her of her clothes and making love to her.

Slow, pleasuring, make her scream his name over and over love.

Yeah, life sucked.

How did one go about fixing a problem like this? It seemed impossible and while Jason was sure he couldn't do anything to make the situation right again, there was a part of him that told him he could… that he needed to.

The thought of loosing Elizabeth hurt too much.

Jason never considered himself a selfish man but his opinion was changing the more and more he sat in the hotel room pondering his future.

He could always go back to his apartment, go on as if the night never happened, and find himself on Elizabeth's doorstep for one of their movie nights. If there was one thing he knew about her it was that she hated an uncomfortable situation more than the next person and would be more than happy to act like it never happened. That seemed like a plausible solution to him. But then the image of her curled up on the couch next to him entered his mind and – there it was again – an image of stripping her naked followed right behind.

He was at a dead end.

Again.

He could either confront her about the night – what he remembered of it – and change their friendship forever – and not in a good way. Or, he could act like it never happened and their friendship would be strained even worse. Things would be awkward, she wouldn't be as comfortable with him as she had been in the past and he would hate that.

Somehow, that seemed worse.

But, as much as all of that made his stomach churn with dread, taking that step and actually being with her in every way he wanted to was not a part of the equation. In that, he wasn't being selfish. Forgetting all of this and throwing caution to the wind and making her his would be the most selfish thing he could ever do.

Glancing around the room once more, Jason washed memories of the night that kept popping up in his memory to the side, not needing the image of her silky body disrupting his thoughts – yeah, right. He slipped his wallet into his pocket and left the room, wanting to put the entire night behind him but knowing that was never going to happen.

As he rode down the elevator Jason dreaded what was to come. He didn't know what that was, exactly, but it definitely consisted of getting down on his knees and begging Elizabeth for her forgiveness. Some apologizing, too. He would have to let her know how deeply sorry he was for…

Wait … no. There could be no apologizing because he distinctly remembered her telling him that if he told her he was sorry one more time she would hit him.

Since Jason knew what a mean right hook she had – he taught her all she knew – he wasn't going to chance that.

Scrubbing his hands over his face in frustration, Jason let out a growl from deep in his throat. Why the hell were woman so damn complicated?

His head snapped up as the elevator dinged, signaling his arrival to the lobby. Stepping off, Jason made his way to the entrance than stopped. Something tickled at the back of his neck. He always got that sensation when his instincts were telling him to be alert, to change directions, or that someone was watching him.

He turned his head slightly to the right, catching sight of a woman leaving the ballroom that held Carly's party the night before. His head moved slightly to follow the woman he recognized from the night before leave the hotel with what he declared a smug smile spread out on her face.

Jason stood there for a couple more moments then turned in the direction she came from. His footsteps were determined as he entered the ballroom, his gaze zeroing in on the bartender from the night before.

The main was cleaning cups, a satisfied smile tilting his mouth to the side.

Jason's eyes narrowed.

The bartender looked up and the second he saw Jason, he went completely pale.

That piece of shit.

"How much did she pay you?"

The cup fell out of the man's hand, crashing to the floor and shattering into tiny pieces. The bartender backed up against the mirror that lined that back of the bar. "I…" he stuttered, looking ready to cry as Jason stepped forward. The bar was the only thing that separated them in that moment. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jason stared hard at the man.

"Look, you don't understand…" Jason's hand slamming down on the bar made the younger man jump. There were actual tears in his eyes.

Good. The guy needed to suffer for the shit he put Jason through.

"Please don't hurt me."

"How much did she pay you?"

"She didn't pay me in money," he wailed. His hands came up, gesturing wildly as he tried to reason with Jason. "Haven't you _seen_ her?" When Jason didn't move a muscle, the bartender looked around then leaned down to whisper. "She told me that if I slipped you the sleeping pills she gave me, then she would sleep with me."

A muscle ticked in Jason's jaw as he grinded his teeth together.

The other man seemed desperate to make Jason understand. "I haven't been with that many women and… jeeze man, the woman's got tits on her the size of…"

Jason grabbed a hold of the man's shirt, fisting his hand in its collar in a choking grip. "I don't care if she gave you the best head you've ever gotten, you fucking drugged me." He pulled on the shirt, inching his face closer. "Did she give you a reason?"

The black haired bartender swallowed, his lower lip trembling. "She said that she wanted to make you pay for cheating on her with that woman you were with last night. All I had to do was slip you the pills and try to distract the other woman. But when you two left I wasn't able to distract her. But Sam told me she took care of it by putting your other girlfriend in her place and I didn't know I would die!"

He spoke so fast and in such a high pitched voice that Jason had to stain his ears to follow along.

"Did Sam tell you what she said to my friend?" His voice was low, daring the little shit to defy him.

He nodded quickly, most likely wanting to give Jason all the information he could to save his own ass. "She boasted about how she said you could never want a little girl like her. I gotta say, man. If I was with that woman you were with last night, I wouldn't look at another woman ever again. Not even Sam."

When Jason tugged on his shirt harder, the bartender swallowed thickly. "Right," he cleared his throat. "She laughed about how she made your friend cry because she was a – these are her words, not mine – little girl playing dress up. Sam swore she put her in her place."

And that's why Elizabeth was crying.

Sighing, Jason let go of the bartender who fell against the back mirror, gasping for breath.

He ran a hand through his hair, his forehead scrunched in concentration. Elizabeth had been going on and on last night about how she was tired of pretending and how she didn't want to be alone. She was crying after her encounter with Sam and Sam told her that Jason would never want her.

And then he went and proved Sam right by almost sleeping with Elizabeth then stopping and then – to top off his most asshole move – he fell asleep.

Not only that but he apologized and told her he _would_ regret sleeping with her.

He was surprised Elizabeth hadn't hit him yet.

She was practically wearing her heart on her sleeve and Jason went and crushed it.

The situation just got worse and worse with each passing second.

Turning, Jason began to walk out of the ballroom, determined to explain this new information to Elizabeth – that he hadn't fallen asleep because he was a jerk, but that he fell asleep because some bitch who couldn't take no for an answer wanted to make him pay.

He was almost to the door when he turned around again and walked right up to the bartender, swinging his arm back and punching him right in the face. The man fell down with a cry, lying sprawled out on the wet floor of the bar area.

Jason leaned over the bar, pointing a finger at the bartender who was holding his face in his hands, sobbing. "People have died for less than what you pulled last night. Remember that."

With that, Jason left. He wouldn't actually kill the man. But if his conversation with Elizabeth did not turn out the way he wanted it to, then he was going to need to relieve some of his anger.

Beating the shit out of the guy who drugged him seemed like the best solution.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like you've got a whole bunch of boxes in your arms like your going to pack or something. I don't like it."

Elizabeth entered her apartment, leaving the door open for Max to follow her in. Being one of Jason and Sonny's personal guards, not to mention their best, Max always seemed to be around. At first, it bothered her that the poor man had to stand outside of Sonny's apartment every day and put his life on the line for her friends. But as time went on, Max became less of a guard to her and more of a friend. A friend she could talk to when she wanted to slap some sense into Jason.

"Aren't you mister obvious today."

"You know what," Max said as he closed her door, walking around her quickly so he could face her. "I don't like your tone."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, I haven't had that great of a day."

"It's only noon."

"And yet so much has gone wrong."

At her pitiful pout, Max pulled the boxes out of her hands, dropping them to the floor before directing her to her couch. Plopping down next to her, he placed his large arm around her body, pulling her into his side in a bruising hug. "Tell me what's wrong."

Elizabeth rested her head against his shoulder, needing this. She could always count on Max to be her big teddy bear when she was down. He was such a kind and caring and loving man. Why couldn't she be in love with him?

Because he was more like a brother to her.

At that thought, Elizabeth looked up at him, looked into his eyes and tried to see if he was the least bit attracted to her. She looked for a while, inching her head forward to get a better look. If Max had feelings for her, then Elizabeth might be able to give Jason some slack for never returning her own.

Max was her friend, a brother figure. If he liked her more than that then Elizabeth could place herself in Jason's shoes and know what it's like to be oblivious to someone having feelings for her and then…

_Boy_ was she stretching.

She could tell Max wasn't interested in her in that way. Sure he told her she had a nice body and had even flirted with her at first, but that's all it ever was. Trying to justify Jason being stupid was just another way for Elizabeth to forgive him without him doing any work to earn that forgiveness.

Huffing, Elizabeth dropped her head on his shoulder again.

"It's Jason, isn't it?"

"No," she mumbled with little effort to cover her lie.

"What'd he do to you?" He sounded angry. "I'll kill him."

Elizabeth jerked her head back, her face scrunching. "No you wouldn't."

"True," he chucked her in the chin lightly with his fist. "But only because I don't want to die and you know Sonny would…" he coughed into a fist. "So, what did he do." He went back to their original conversation.

"He… well, see…" This was just too embarrassing. As much as Elizabeth felt she could confide in Max, this was just too much. "He didn't really _do_ anything."

"Why do you waste your time on him, Elizabeth?" Max asked with true wonder in his voice. "You're beautiful and smart and any guy would be lucky to have you. Hell, every time we go out I see about twenty guys give you the look down. They'd probably approach you if I didn't glare at them."

She laughed, then cried. "Why can't Jason be one of those guys?"

Max opened his mouth but her sniffled reply to her own question stopped him. "It's because he could never want someone like me. I'm safe and… and boring and not like those sluts he sleeps with."

"You're better than that."

"Maybe," she tucked her chin into her chest, feeling tears gather in her eyes and holding them back as much as she could. Her throat worked painfully as she spoke. "I just wish it didn't hurt so much."

There with both silent for a moment, Elizabeth hating how weak she was. She had done too much crying and was sick of it.

Trying to lighten the mood, Elizabeth looked up at Max, a very serious expression across her face. "It's his eyes, you know."

"Huh?"

"They're evil." She held back her smile when he blanched. "They're so blue and sparkle every time he looks at a woman, making her feel like she's the most special person in the world. He uses the things to trap women and make them fall in love with him."

Her own eyes squinted.

"Evil, I tell you."

Max slapped his hand against her forehead. "Are you sick?"

"Come on, Max. You can't tell me you don't know how entrancing those eyes can be."

His head jerked back, "Now I know you're sick."

At his look, Elizabeth fell back against the couch, holding her side in laughter. He pinched her thigh. "You think you're funny."

Between her giggles, she replied, "I had you convinced I was some crazy love sick fool." Which, she admitted to herself, she was.

After her giggles died down, Elizabeth straightened, rubbing her aching stomach. Laughing never felt so good.

Max patted her thigh. "I knew you'd feel better soon. You're not one to drown yourself in depression, especially over a guy. The best thing for you to do is pick yourself up again and live your life the way you want to."

"Right," Elizabeth whispered, turning serious again. "And the only way to do that is to leave Port Charles for good."


	11. Chapter 11

Prompt #11: **Sweet n' Tart.**

**-11-**

The second Jason stepped off of the elevator leading to his floor he was attacked.

Not so much attacked where he needed to pull the gun that rested in the waistband of his jeans out to protect his life. He wasn't actually attacked in the physical manner at all.

It was more of a verbal attack by the one person who wouldn't shut up no matter how many times he told her to.

Carly Corinthos.

Though she was one of his oldest friends – even older than Sonny, the woman drove him insane. She always had one scam or another running through her mind, always causing trouble for those around her. It didn't matter that he and Sonny forbid her to act out on any of her wild ideas, the blonde did whatever she wanted whenever she wanted.

And that included driving Jason insane with her constant need to butt into his life.

"I can't believe you brought her with you last night. What the hell were you thinking and why are you just now getting home?"

"Leave me alone."

She ignored him, of course.

Following him, Carly caught the door to his apartment right before it slammed in her face, huffing with great dramatics. She slammed the door behind her as she prowled after him.

"Do not tell me that you slept with her!" she wailed in a high pitched voice.

"Fine," he shrugged out of his jacket. "I won't."

"I think I'm going to be sick." She threw her hands up, spreading her fingers wide. "How could you do this to me?"

"How does this have any thing to do with you?" He snapped, his eyebrows raised high as his head tilted to the side.

She stomped her foot. "Because you know how much I can't stand the little twit. Besides the thought of you… and her…" She shivered. "Ugh, it's gross."

Jason stared at her for several moments, his expression hard. Letting out a loud breath, he wiped his mouth, curling his hand around his chin before dropping it to his side. "I didn't sleep with her, ok? Would you just drop this?"

He didn't know why he asked. Carly was Carly and she didn't drop anything. She would nag and nag and drive a person to the brink of throwing something at her head before she would stop. It's like she had a sixth sense about that. When someone was about to snap she would quickly make her escape.

She knew he was a patient man.

"As glad as I am that you didn't sleep with her, I still can't get the image out of my head."

"You brought it up."

She flicked her wrist, dismissing his interruption. "Now, back to my first question: Why the hell did you bring her? I didn't invite her."

"She's my friend, Carly."

"Doesn't mean you had to bring her to _my_ party."

Jason sunk onto his couch, rubbing his head, the stirrings of a headache throbbing behind his right eye. "Why do you have such a problem with Elizabeth?"

Carly took a seat right next to him, her leg bent on the cushion between them, her arm stretched on the back of the couch. "She's such a… goody, goody," her lip curled. "She walks around like she's so much better than everyone else. And she's just… she annoys me so I don't like her."

"Elizabeth's a good person. You've never given her a chance."

"That's because I can read people and the second I saw Elizabeth I knew she was a little bitch. You would be better off if you just cut all ties with her."

"You didn't start hating her until I moved back here," he pointed out.

She shrugged her shoulders. "So," she flicked her wrist again. "She's using you, Jason."

When he rolled his eyes in frustration and stood, Carly followed right behind him. "She's this little innocent nobody…" He gave her a hard look but she continued, ignoring him like always. "And you're this hot bad boy. You're a thrill to her and she's using you. Once you let her in, she'll find out that she can't handle your life and then you'll be the one hurt in the end."

Oh, how little she knew.

He shook his head but Carly stood her ground. "She'll only end up hurting you, Jason. I'll rip her hair out before she gets a chance to."

"Stay away from Elizabeth," he spoke in a low voice, taking a step toward her. "Don't go near her."

"It's already beginning, isn't it? She's got you blinded by her little halo. I've got to fix you."

"Carly," Jason warned. "Just leave it alone."

"No! I can't stand by and watch you fall all over yourself for someone like _Elizabeth_. She doesn't deserve you…"

"Enough!" his voice boomed against the walls of his apartment, startling her into silence. "I don't care how much you hate her, Carly. I'm tired of listening to you put her down all the time. You don't know Elizabeth; you don't know what she means to me. _I'm_ the one who doesn't deserve her."

"Jase…"

"No. You say she's not good enough for me and that she'll only hurt me, but I'm the one who's not good enough for her. It would make me happy to be with her, to come home to her everyday but I wont to that to her."

He looked away, scratching his chest. "So you don't have to worry about me ending up with someone and not being there for you and Sonny whenever you need me."

"That's not what this is about," her voice sounded wounded, the tears in her eyes backing up her hurt at his outburst. He couldn't seem to care at the moment.

"Isn't it?" his voice was mocking. "If it's not Elizabeth, then you would be bothering me about some other woman I was interested in. She could be just like you and you'd hate her. But I'm not going to sacrifice Elizabeth's happiness for my own. So don't worry anymore. I'll always be alone."

"I don't want that for you, Jase. I want you to be happy."

He looked at her in disbelief. "I do," she tisked. "I just never thought the twi… Elizabeth would be that someone who made you happy." She looked absolutely disgusted.

"Yeah, well," he shrugged.

Carly swallowed once, twice. She fidgeted on her feet before she finally threw her hands up in the air, letting out a frustrated breath. "Have you told her how you felt," she huffed, not looking him in the eye.

"No."

"Maybe you should."

"Like I said," he shrugged, "I'm not going to."

"Well if she makes you… God, this is so hard for me to say without gagging." She held up her hands when he glared at her. "If she makes you happy then you need to let her know."

"Not gonna happen."

She threw her hands up. "Why are you so damn stubborn?"

"Why can't you mind your own business?"

"I don't know how to," she smiled. He could tell she was realizing he wasn't going to budge on the subject. "Fine, I won't tell you how to live your life anymore."

He snorted.

"Do whatever you want." She turned around and walked to the door, speaking as she went. "Maybe it's for the best. Like I said before, she can't handle a man li—"

"Carly."

"Never mind," she shouted as she slammed the door behind her.

Jason rolled his eyes as he made his way up the stairs and to his bathroom. A long hot shower was what he needed, he decided. It would soothe away the stress he was feeling and even allow him to think about what he was going to do to make Elizabeth see his view of the situation without letting her know how he really felt.

A hot shower would take away his images of the night before – if only for a little while – giving him a clear head to think. He would be able to push aside the images of Elizabeth stretching beneath him in all her glory. Her silky skin rubbing against his, her lips forming a perfect shape as she moaned.

Yep, he'd be able to push all of that aside during his shower.

Stripping his clothes, Jason turned the knob of his shower all the way to cold.

Who the hell was he kidding?

* * *

Half an hour later, Jason pounded down his stairs, the effects of the cold shower still causing him to shiver. 

His phone rang, focusing his attention to his desk where he dropped his cell phone earlier. "Yeah," he barked as he flipped the phone open.

The voice on the other line, a new kid Sonny just hired to watch over things at the warehouse, began to ramble on about a missing shipment and how he couldn't get a hold of Sonny so he'd figure he'd call Jason. "That's ok, right?"

The kid sounded scared to death making Jason close his eyes in frustration. Just what he needed. "Which shipment?"

"Oh, it's just a coffee shipment not…" the boy cleared his throat," you know. But I thought it was important to let you know. I thought if I didn't call right away I might get in trouble and I just—"

"Ok," Jason cut him off. "I'll send someone down there to take care of it and explain to you what you need to do the next time something like this happens."

"Thank you, Mr. Morgan."

Hanging up, Jason opened his door and saw Max standing outside Sonny's door.

"Max," Jason summoned the man with a gesture of his hand.

Max's eyes narrowed as he took his sweet time walking to Jason.

Jason's forehead crinkled. "I uh, I need you to get to the warehouse and find out what's going on with a missing shipment."

Max sucked on his teeth. "Do it your self."

"Excuse me?"

Max faltered, shuffling his feet a moment before he squared his shoulders and hardened his face once more. "I said do it your self… boss," he added the last part with a nod.

Jason stepped so close to Max that their faces were only inches apart. The glare he gave the guard was a glare that had broken many men before. Max didn't flinch. "Do you have a death wish, Max?"

"Do you?"

"If you don't tell me what the fu—"

"You made her cry."

"What?"

"Do you even realize what a wonderful person she is? How some guys would kill to have someone like her even look at them twice?"

Jason took a step back. "Who are you talking about?"

"Elizabeth," Max shook his head in disappointment. "You really are that dense."

"Watch it, Max," he warned with a hard voice before his face softened, dread creeping in his throat. "What do you mean I made her cry?"

"Just that," Max huffed before clearing his throat at Jason's hard look. "She came home today with puffy eyes and boxes."

"Boxes?"

"Yeah, boxes." When Max raised his eyebrows in some sort of sign, Jason just shook his head, still not understanding what the hell was going on. "She's planning on moving, man! You broke her heart for the last time and she's leaving so you can't do it again."

Like hell she was.

Jason pushed past Max, not catching the wide, goofy smile that spread across the guards face.

His footsteps picked up their pace until he was running to Elizabeth's apartment.

It looked like he was going to be selfish after all because there was no way in hell he was going to let her leave.

His life would be too empty without her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Prompt #12: "The Devil's voice is sweet to hear" Stephen King.**

**-12-**

It's funny how one night can cause a person to make one of the biggest decisions in life.

This wasn't the first time Elizabeth picked up and left a place because of something – more like someone – making her see the light of day and realize that her dreams were just that… dreams.

The first time Elizabeth left was because of a conversation she had with her sister. Just graduating high school, Elizabeth had no real desire to attend college for the sake of attending college. For as long as she could remember, she wanted to be an artist.

She wanted to tour Italy and paint every thing she saw. She wanted to own her own gallery and become one of the youngest and most talented artists ever known.

When she had made the mistake of telling her sister all of this during a conversation on what she was going to do with her life now that she had graduated, Sarah had laughed in her face. She had apologized right after – Sarah was nothing if not polite – but it had been her first reaction to laugh. And then tell Elizabeth exactly why that was such a bad idea.

There was no way she could pull it off. She would have no money to support her trip to Italy. Really, it was a stupid idea.

So she left. She packed her bags, taking only what she really needed, closed her savings account and moved as far away from her home town as her beat up Volts Wagon Beatle would take her. In the small town of Sunshine, Arkansas, Elizabeth found work at a local diner and fit right in.

The people were friendly, treated her like she had lived their all her life. Her favorite customer was Sal, the local mechanic. Not only had he promised to fix her car for free – something she had needed desperately – but he always left her a tip, no matter how much she told him she couldn't accept it.

It was when Sal was eating Momma Mae's – that's what the owner, Mae Quinn, insisted on everyone calling her – famous blueberry pie that he took too large of a bite and began to choke. Being the closest person, Elizabeth began to pound on his back until the old man spit out the hard crust he was choking on.

After many rounds coughing and spurting, Sal thanked Elizabeth for saving his life and then declared that she should become a doctor. She was a natural at saving lives, after all.

Knowing she couldn't be a waitress the rest of her life, Elizabeth took Sal's advice and went with it, sort of. She applied to a couple of university's to start courses to become a nurse.

She moved away from that small town after a heart breaking goodbye party.

After nursing school, Elizabeth needed to move on again and after a talk with a friend from school; she decided to move to Port Charles, New York and work at General Hospital.

She instantly fell in love with the town, the people, her life there.

Because her grandfather always favored her – he had a weakness for her large doe eyes and gentle spirit he always told her – he left her a generous amount of money in his will, which allowed her to afford her beautiful apartment in Harborview Towers.

For the first time in… forever, Elizabeth had felt settled. She loved her job even though her boss Epiphany could be a royal pain in the butt. She had wonderful friends. First Emily and Robin from the hospital, then she met Sonny and Jason.

Jason…

Not only did she fall in love with the town and her home, but she fell in love with him.

And he didn't love her back.

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth squeezed the picture frame she held in her hands. She had been looking at the thing for a while now debating whether or not to pack it and take it with her. It was a candid picture of her and Jason, one his sister's photographer took of them at her wedding. They were laughing off to the side of the dance floor while the rest of the wedding party danced.

They were the only two who hadn't danced that night and while it had bothered Elizabeth, she still had a wonderful time with him, which showed in the picture.

If she were a stranger, Elizabeth would think that the two of them were in love with the way they were gazing at each other, huddled close together as the rest of the room didn't exist around them.

It was her favorite picture, ever.

But she was leaving Port Charles to get her life together again. It had worked all of the other times and it needed to work now. She needed to be somewhere where she didn't fantasize of a man who considered her his best friend and nothing else.

She needed to leave so she couldn't feel her heart break off piece by piece everyday she saw him with another woman.

If she took the picture with her it would just be another reminder of her love for him and it wouldn't help her get over him.

Feeling a little bit destroyed, Elizabeth placed the picture face down on the coffee table. She couldn't take it.

"I'm surprised you didn't throw it away instead."

Startled, Elizabeth turned around to see Jason standing in her doorway. "I didn't hear you come in."

His expression was cold, unreadable. "I came in a couple of minutes ago." He pointed to the picture on the table. "You hate me that much?"

"I don't hate you," she whispered brokenly.

"You were standing there looking at that picture so intently when I walked in that you didn't even hear me come in. But you didn't put it in the box. You've obliviously decided to not take it with you."

She lowered her eyes, blinking several times to ward off the tears that threatened to spill. "It's too hard," was her whispered reply.

"I never thought you were a coward."

Her head snapped up.

He was speaking to her in such a cold voice it send shivers down her spine. Though she had heard Jason speak like that before – mostly to the cops – he had never used that voice with her. It hurt worse than his admission of regret earlier that day.

"I am not a coward," her voice was stern, strong. How dare he insult her!

"Really," his head cocked to the side. "Then what do you call this?" His arm swept her apartment where the many boxes she planned on filling littered her living room. She had been 'packing' for hours but yet she was still on the first box.

It was harder than she thought it would be.

"You're running away."

He was walking toward her with slow, precise steps. Her mind was screaming at her to back away, but her heart wouldn't budge and neither would her legs. Her response was a weak: "I'm not running away."

"When did you plan on moving?"

"I…"

"You didn't even plan on leaving until this morning. I know, you would have told me if you wanted to move before then."

Another step closer.

"I've been thinking about moving and just decided that it was time." She swallowed as he came even closer. One more step and they'd be touching.

He stopped.

In a voice so low and – to Elizabeth's amazement – sad, Jason said, "Stop lying."

His finger slid along the side of her chin. He clutched it in a light grip to lift her face so she looked him in the eyes. His voice was ever so soft. "Something changed between us last night and it scared you. When we woke up this morning, I said some things that hurt you."

She wanted so badly to close her eyes, but she didn't. It was torture, plain and simple, but she continued to keep her eyes locked on his. "I'm sorry that—"

Just like that, the spell she felt being cast over her was broking. She hated those two words.

Jerking her chin out of his grasp, Elizabeth stormed away from him, her hands sliding through her hair in a frustrated gesture. "Why are you doing this?"

"I need you to understand."

"I understand alright." She couldn't look at him as she placed herself on the opposite side of the couch. Her voice of full of anger and pain as she spoke. "I don't need for you to explain how sorry you are for almost sleeping with me. I do _not_ need for you to tell me how much you regret it. I get it, Jason, ok? I get it and now I need you to leave."

"No."

"Why are you so damn determined to hurt me?"

Her voice rang throughout the apartment. It shocked her how forceful her tone was, how all of her emotion piled up into that one statement.

Jason didn't move, though. His expression turned even softer than before and all she wanted to do was cry. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you."

"Every time you brought home one of the women you met, you hurt me. Ever time you made it loud and clear that we were only and would only ever be friends, you hurt me. And now this? Jason, I care about you more than a friend. I have for a long time. You are one of the most amazing men I have ever met but yet you have no clue as to how much you are hurting me right now." She breathed deeply, needing – for herself – to continue.

"Last night meant something to me. Not only did you stop, but you fell asleep right after. You have no idea how dirty I felt in that moment." Her chin wobbled as tears began to spill down her cheeks. It was odd, but she thought she saw his eyes cloud as well. "And then you apologized this morning and told me that you'd regret sleeping with me.

"I have never felt so low and alone than I did when you said that. So I decided to leave." She shrugged, her hands moving back and forth along her stomach in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"But here you are again, making it worse."

Jason dipped his head, taking in a deep breath before he looked at her again. When she swiped her tears away with the back of her hand, she was stunned to see the wetness in his own eyes.

"There's a lot I have to explain. Will you please listen to me?"

She wanted so much to say no, to tell him to leave and pack as fast as she could. But she nodded. Something in his voice, in the pleading way he looked at her made Elizabeth agree to hear him out. Maybe he would tell her the one thing that would set her free, that would make this move easier.

Neither one of them moved as he spoke. "I was drugged last night. That's why I fell asleep." When she moved forward in shock, he shook his head, asking her without words to let him finish before she interrupted. "The bartender was… paid to slip a sleeping pill into my drink. I would have stopped no matter what last night, but I would have explained. Because of the pill, I never got a chance to.

"Sleeping with you last night would have been a mistake." Her eyes closed as her chest tightened. God, this hurt.

Jason let out a growl. "I don't know how to say this right." Sighing, he continued, trying again. "There is something between us, but neither one of us has ever said anything about it. I never did because I believed you deserved better than me."

Her breathing became quick. Was he really saying…

"I'm not a good man, Elizabeth."

"That's not true," she protested, moving around the couch to stand before him, as close as he had been earlier. "You are a wonderful and caring man. I have never met anyone as good as you."

"I don't live a normal life."

"Who does?"

The corner of his mouth tilted in a half smile. "What I'm trying to say is that I've been fighting… this." He gestured between them. "Every time I felt like I would give in, I backed away because I convinced myself that I would only hurt you. I didn't know I was doing that all along by staying away. If we would have slept together I would have hated myself for taking advantage of you and our friendship would have been strained."

Sighing, Elizabeth looked away. "Why did you have to be with so many women? Why did you have to always bring them home?"

She hated how childish she sounded, but she had to know.

"I had to do something to get you off my mind." She snorted. He chuckled a little. "I know it wasn't the best way and it never worked." When she looked at him again his face sobered. "None of those women ever meant anything to me. They were just a distraction."

His hand reached out to caress her cheek. She sighed, "Why are you telling me all of this now?"

The deep breath escaping his mouth rustled the hair at her temple. "When Max told me you were moving, something inside of me broke. I felt sick and the only thing I could think to do was run here and beg you not to leave."

The air between them began to sizzle as he spoke the words she never thought she would hear uttered from his mouth.

"I can't live without you, Elizabeth. I love you."

She stopped breathing.

She waited for the lightening to strike or for a whole to open up at her feet, sucking her in to a never ending fall of blackness. Neither happened.

Since the moment she and Jason became friends and she realized she was madly in love with him she had waited for this moment, dreamt about it. Now that it was here it didn't feel real.

He smiled at her shocked expression. "I think I fell in love with you when you fell at my feet."

Now she knew she was dreaming. The Jason she knew would never say such a line. She said as much. "The Jason Morgan I know would never say something like that."

His head dipped closer. "I'll say anything to make you stay."

Her eyes closed on a sigh. A disappointed sigh.

Why did he know the exact words to ruin a perfect moment? Trying to pull away, Elizabeth huffed when he wrapped his arm around her, not letting her move an inch. "I don't want you to tell me you love me just because you think it will make me stay. As much as I've dreamt of this moment, I only ever wanted to hear you say those words if you meant them."

"I do." He blushed a little, averting his gaze before turning those deep, clear blues eyes on her again. "I don't know when I fell in love with you, I can't pinpoint the exact moment. All I know is that I love you. I love the way you crinkle your nose when you don't like something. I love holding you in my arms on your couch and falling asleep. I love talking to you. I love being with you.

"I love _you_. I should have told you before."

From the second he started speaking, Elizabeth began to cry. How could a man that could stick his foot in his mouth so easily speak so beautifully?

And the fact that he was speaking _to_ her made her all the more emotional.

His head dipped toward hers. He paused a brief moment before touching his lips to hers in the softest caress. She moaned when he pulled away.

"Will you please end my torture and tell me you're not leaving."

"I'm not leaving."

He smiled, relief washing over his face. "Good."

He bent his head to kiss her once more, tightening his arms around her in a promise of a deeper kiss filled with passion. But before he could connect their lips, she moved her head slightly to the side, placing her hand against his chest.

Looking into his eyes, Elizabeth let out the three words she always held back, too fearful to lay her heart on the line. "I love you."

If felt so good to say it out loud.

So right.


	13. Chapter 13

Prompt #13: **Black Licorice**

**-13-**

**(NC-17ish)**

Some things in life were simply decadent.

Candy used to top Elizabeth's decadence list. The chocolate pieces that melted on her tongue the second she placed the morsel in her mouth. The kind that had hidden secrets inside like the Hershey Kisses Truffles she discovered one lonely night a couple of months ago. They had the creamy chocolate coat on the outside just like any normal Kiss, but once it began to melt in her mouth, another flavor of melted chocolate erupted and it was in that moment that Elizabeth thought she would never have to have sex ever again.

Boy was she wrong.

_Way_ wrong.

As wonderful as that bag of candy had been – and she would know, downing most of the bag in one sitting then coming back for the rest an hour later – it was nothing compared to the sensations she was feeling right then as Jason trailed his mouth down the column of her throat, in slow… agonizing movements. His mouth was masterful against her skin, applying just the right amount of pressure to make her want more, but never giving her that extra something that would throw her over the edge.

He was torturing her, that's what he was doing. And it had been like this for the past couple of weeks between them ever since they both woke up and decided to go for what they wanted. Each other.

One would think that they would have consummated their relationship by now.

Wrong.

After all of his womanizing ways, having one woman right after another, Jason Morgan had suddenly decided to become a freaking monk.

And drive Elizabeth insane along the way.

A breathy moan escaped her parted lips as he nipped at her collarbone.

Correction. Jason Morgan wasn't a freaking monk – no way would one of those holy men even know how to do what Jason was doing – he was more like a tease. Someone who promised great sex, sex that would make her want to stay in bed for days, and wouldn't follow through with it. All because he wanted this relationship to work and not be based on _just_ their lustful needs.

And if anyone was having lustful needs, it was Elizabeth.

Almost every night was the same. They either went out to dinner and came back to one of their places, or just hung out at the others apartment and had dinner there. It was always after dinner, when they would curl up on the couch together that they really began to enjoy their new status of a couple. During each and every one of those times, Elizabeth could have sworn that it would be the night they would make love.

But then Jason would back away from her quickly. Rubbing his hands down his thighs or against his chest or even down his face, claiming that he had to go.

With a chaste kiss goodbye, he would storm out of her apartment or – to her embarrassment – usher her out the door when they were at his place.

They would always get so close to just ripping each others clothes off when he would clam up and end it there. If Elizabeth didn't trust in his love as much as she did, she would have some serious confidence issues.

Which would lead them right back to where they began the night of the Halloween party. But she wasn't going to allow that. She was stronger now, knowing how he felt about her. And, dammit, she was going to get some action from the bullheaded man if she had to tie him down and torture him for a little bit until he gave in – yeah right, but it was a thought.

As Jason slipped his hand inside her shirt, skimming his rough palm along her flat stomach, applying pressure until she fell back against the couch, all thoughts left Elizabeth's mind.

She felt his body settle on top of hers, her shirt ridding up to just below her chest as his hand continued to explore. Another moan escaped from deep in her throat, her back arching as his palm cupped her breast, kneading.

Now _this_ was decadence.

Elizabeth slipped her arms around his waist, squeezing his jean clad butt – he had such a wonderful butt – then trailing upward, under his shirt, pausing as she felt his heated skin.

Just as slowly as he had earlier, Elizabeth slid her hands up his back, bringing his shirt with it. She tried to peel the shirt off of him, but his mouth settled over hers, causing her to focus on the wonderful feel of his lips against hers.

Her mouth flowered beneath his as her hands clenched into his back. He hissed against her mouth when her nails dug into his shoulders most likely breaking skin.

Jason's tongue slipped past her lips, lazily moving against her own as his hips began to move in slow thrusts to match the movement of her own.

The only thing they needed to make this better was to get rid of their clothes.

His hands moved to do just that when he stopped, his eyes opening wide. He almost got too carried away this time.

Jason quickly stood from the couch, his hands rubbing fiercely against his thighs. Somewhat to release the tension humming through him with such force he felt like he was going to fall right back on top of her and have his way with her. And partly because he didn't want to do just that – well, he wanted to, but he couldn't… yet.

Clearing his throat, Jason looked up, avoiding her hooded gaze. "I…uh," he cleared his throat again – like it would help. Nothing could help him right then but either a cold shower or sinking himself into her soft, warm… "I got to go."

He was almost to the door when he heard Elizabeth let out such a shrill scream he thought she was dying. Turing and rushing back to her side, Jason stopped just short of the couch once he saw her flushed face, her hands pulling at her hair.

She lifted her head high enough to glare at him and grit her teeth. "You cannot leave."

His lips moved, but she let out another grunt, falling back against the couch then fixing her position to where she leaned against her elbows.

"We have _got_ to have sex."

The fierceness in which she spoke caused him pause. Hell, what she just said caused him pause. All he could do was stare at her, eyes opened wide, mouth slightly open. What could he say to that?

"I can't take this anymore, Jason." She stood, her hands lifting her hair from her neck, then dropping to her sides in frustration. "You have to end this torture you are putting me through."

"Torture?"

"Yes!" She tilted her head back, snapping it back again to glare at him. "Every night you do this to me. You… you get me so…" she dipped her head a little, a blush rising from her neck to her cheeks.

"Hot," the word was said between clenched teeth, coming out as almost a hiss. "And then you walk away. You get up and you leave like this doesn't affect you as much as it affects me. Well, I can't take it anymore. So stop being a jerk and just have sex with me."

The air in the apartment seemed to sizzle, scorching his skin.

He wanted to be with her more than anything, but he couldn't. For as long as he could remember, sex to him was just that… sex. He would find a woman – or one would find him more likely – and they would have sex. Nothing happened after that, even if the woman wanted it to. He never had feelings for any of the women he slept with. Most of them knew what they were getting into before they hopped into bed with him, and those that didn't had claimed they understood and only had themselves to blame when they were crushed afterwards.

Jason was never a one woman man and now that he was, it scared the hell out of him.

What he had with Elizabeth was close to perfect. He had almost lost that and taking the next step by sleeping with her scared him.

He knew they would both enjoy it, more than anything. He also knew that sex with Elizabeth was not going to be about sex. When they were together finally, they would make love.

He had never made love to a woman before.

So he stalled. Not because he didn't want to take that next step with her and really seal their status as being in a relationship. But because he didn't want to ruin that.

He sighed. Never in his life would he have ever thought himself a coward. But he was. "We can't." Not yet, he added silently.

"Yes we can. I swear to God, Jason. If we don't sleep together soon, I'm going to burst."

She looked so cute standing there with her hands on her hips, glaring at him and demanding that he sleep with her that Jason couldn't hold back the slight tilt of his lips. He loved it when she got fired up.

Elizabeth felt her body tighten at the sight of his smirk. What the hell was she doing?!

She was practically begging him – who was she kidding? – she was _begging_ him to have sex with her. The fact that he was saying he couldn't didn't hurt her feelings like it would have a couple of weeks ago. She knew he was afraid of being with her and ruining the chance they had to be together by making their relationship a sexual one. Hell, all he knew was sex with other women and he never stuck around with one long enough to know what a real relationship was.

Well, she smirked as she softened her features, no longer glaring at him. She would just have to teach him that you could make love to a woman _and_ love her – and only her – while maintaining a healthy relationship.

Taking a step back, Elizabeth placed her hand against her stomach, lowering her gaze to the floor. "I understand."

"Thank you," she heard him sigh with relief.

Idiot.

Her other hand slowly rose to settle against her stomach as well. She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She could feel his eyes on her and had to hold back her smirk. Dancing her fingers against the fabric of her shirt, the material lifted with each move of her digits.

She kept her head turned but let her gaze connect with his and the look on his face was almost comical. She would have laughed if the heat coming from his eyes didn't cause the very breath from her lungs to escape and cut off her breathing.

Keep going, she commanded herself.

She dropped the bit of fabric that rose, revealing her stomach to him for only a moment. Crossing her arms, Elizabeth grabbed the bottom of her shirt in each hand and tore it away from her body.

She had kept eye contact with him throughout the entire time, breaking it only when her shirt was covering her face for the brief moments it took to remove it.

When she looked at him again, he was closer to her. But not close enough.

"Jason," she breathed his name, needing to say it. She needed him so much it hurt.

Her gaze was daring him to come forward, to take what he wanted but he stood still. Trailing a finger down the center of her body, Elizabeth stopped when she felt the cool metal of her jeans button. With a raised eyebrow, she snapped the button open and it was as if the spell was broken.

Jason moved toward her in one stride, a low growl escaping his lips right before his mouth descended on top of hers.

When his arms wrapped around her, molding her close to him, Elizabeth felt like she was in heaven.

For breathless moments, Jason moved his mouth over hers, his hands roaming over her body and touching her everywhere. They were moving too fast and as much as Elizabeth needed to be with him, they needed to slow down. Now was the time to savor, now was the time to love each other.

Placing her hand softly against his cheek, Elizabeth pulled back slightly, opening her mouth to move against his in slow movements.

Jason caught the hint and he was glad she took the lead in that. So carried away was he that he was ready to drop her to the couch any second and have his way with her.

He was content to just kiss her. To feel her resting against him as he held her.

Slowly, their clothes began to disappear. His shirt flew this way, their pants mixed together as the garments fell to the floor. Soon, there wasn't a piece of clothing that remained.

Jason looked down at Elizabeth, the one woman who had the power to change his life for the good. He wasn't completely changed, he just finally knew what it was like to love and be loved and all because of this little, beautiful, wonderful woman.

His fingers trailed through her hair, his gaze settling on her full lips.

They tempted him to taste her and he did, not able to resist. As their mouths melted together once again, Jason ran his hands down her sides, feeling her silky skin. In one motion, he dipped down, lifting her in his arms and walking her toward her bedroom, never once releasing her mouth.

He didn't think he could function just yet if he wasn't kissing her.

They settled against her soft mattress, her thighs opening enough to let his body fit between them.

Elizabeth ran her fingers through his hair, gripping him tight. Never in her life had she felt so exposed yet so safe at the same time. This man made her feel absolutely beautiful and the fact that he murmured those words in her ear every chance he got wasn't the reason she felt so beautiful.

It was the way he looked at her. So open and… somewhat amazed that she was his.

Kind of how he was looking at her right then.

One hand cupped her cheek, his head dipping to taste her lips in a lingering kiss once more before he locked his gaze with hers again, entering her in a swift motion.

Elizabeth felt her eyes roll back as she let out a breath. A breath she felt she was keeping in for months.

The both kept still, neither moving a muscle as they basked in the feel of their bodies being connected for the first time. Elizabeth opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was his clear blue eyes gazing down at her with such a beautiful softness that she felt tears prick her own.

Her room became a blur as they began to move. This was so much more than she had ever imagined. Nothing, not his kisses, not his touches, not even his arms around her could prepare her for this moment. She wouldn't trade any of those things for the world, but she thought she might have some clue as to what it would be like to make love to Jason Morgan.

But she hadn't and that's what made this moment more special to her than anything else.

Their bodies grew slick with their continuous movements. She could feel a coil winding tighter and tighter within her and just as it began to unwind with a burst that seemed to rip her body apart, Jason nestled his face against her neck, taking in a deep breath, letting himself go. She held to him tightly, not wanting this end.

It was when their breathing slowed that Jason moved off of her, curling his arms around her tightly and pulling her into his side. Her head rested on his shoulder, her leg thrown over his.

She had never been more content in her life.

Elizabeth held him as her eyes began to droop, exhaustion taking over her entire body. She was just about to fall into a deep sleep when she felt his lips press against her forehead as he spoke so quietly, she had to strain to hear him.

"I love you."

It was with those words that Elizabeth finally fell asleep, a smile lifting the corner of her mouth.

This was forever.

It was hours later when the sun began to filter through her curtains, casting an orange glow in her once darkened room. Jason stared at the window for a few minutes before he turned his attention back to the woman who was still lying in his arms, drooling all over his chest.

This was the first time he spent the entire night with a woman.

This was the first time he saw the sun rise as he held onto a woman he loved.

This must be what perfect felt like.

As much as he told himself in the past that he didn't deserve this, he wasn't going to let it go.

He started to move, to settle more deeply in the covers, ready to go back to sleep when Elizabeth stirred against him. He stopped moving, stopped breathing, afraid that he was going to wake her. He lowered his gaze and let out his breath when he saw her staring up at him. She was smiling, which caused him to smile in return. Without a word, Jason lowered his mouth to hers.

He may not be the perfect man, but Jason made a vow right then to be the best man Elizabeth deserved.

With her by his side, he could accomplish anything.


End file.
